


Revise. Revisit

by nilielh



Category: Arashi (Band)
Genre: Awkward Romance, Crossfire AU, F/M, Girl!Nino - Freeform, Instant Attraction, M/M, Office AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-12
Updated: 2020-10-17
Packaged: 2021-02-26 05:47:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 16
Words: 21,946
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21768583
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nilielh/pseuds/nilielh
Summary: She is the flame that ignites the fire within him; his girl, his angel, his everything.
Relationships: Ninomiya Kazunari/Ohno Satoshi
Comments: 24
Kudos: 50





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted in LJ

Nino didn't pick that place on purpose, not really.  
  
She is supposed to meet Aiba for lunch today – it’s a celebration of some sort for Aiba, who’d landed a contract as a model for three huge clothing brands after only months of working as a freelance model – but that’s also why he couldn’t make it here to meet Nino. Nino sighs and picks through her food – she’s hungry but now, she honestly doesn’t feel like eating anymore.  
  
It’s not like her to be sad for no reason, but she knows herself enough to know that she is, in fact, feeling a little sad. She misses her best friend so much – she can’t honestly remember the last time they sat down together to just hang out or talk – and Aiba not turning up in the end to have lunch with her also doesn’t help.  
  
She heaves another sigh and decides to just get some ice cream to improve her mood. After all, indulging herself with said sugary treat usually works wonder, and she wishes it’s also the case this time around.  
  
She grabs her purse on the table next to her barely-touched lunch and stands, and then wheels around to the direction of the door when she accidentally bumps into someone before she even made it far from her table. Shrieking, she stumbles back, losing her balance in the process, at least until a pair of hands catches her around the waist to pull her back before she falls and accidentally brains herself against the table.  
  
“I got you,” the man says before she ends up embarrassing them both, holding on to the man’s arms to steady herself.  
  
“I’m so sorry, are you okay? Did I hurt you?” the man follows, sounding genuinely worried; Nino starts to shake her head to tell the man she’s okay, raises her head to meet the man’s gaze straight on just as she takes her hands back, and immediately finds herself pausing to assess the man standing before her.  
  
Her gaze rakes the man’s face before she could even stop herself, the man obviously doing the same as he stands there with his arms still around Nino’s waist, as if he hasn’t noticed it. Nino feels like an expensive merchandise on display, but the appreciative gaze she is getting from the man is enough to make the uneasy feeling go away.  
  
In fact, where she’d expected to feel disgusted at the almost possessive way the man is holding her, there’s none of it. But maybe that’s due to the fact that she likes what she sees – the stranger is nice to look at, after all, with his baby-face and sleepy eyes but lips that’s built for sin - likes the feel of the stranger’s proximity as they stare each other over.  
  
Nino feels a little out of her depth, but it’s not to say that the little flutter of excitement settling across the pit of her stomach is one she could just easily ignore.  
  
“Miss? Are you okay?” the mean repeats, and this time, Nino does feel the additional pressure on her hips, the way the stranger is subtly squeezing her waist as if he couldn’t exactly help it. Nino forces herself to smile, hoping it doesn’t look as dazed as she feels and tilts her head a little in answer.  
  
“Y-Yeah, I’m fine,” she at least manages to croak out before she could talk herself out of it, bringing her hands down to gently peel the man’s own from her hips. When the man’s hands are gone, Nino wonders why she suddenly feels cold. “Sorry, that was my fault. I wasn’t paying attention –“  
  
“But you’re not hurt?” the man asks again, the concern on his voice effectively cutting her off. Nino gives a little bow and steps back.  
  
“No. I’m fine, really.”  
  
“Did you just finish your lunch or –“ the man asks then pauses to gesture at the plate Nino left on the table.  
  
“Yeah,” she says, giving an awkward smile.  
  
“Are you sure? But you barely even touched it,” the man says, pointing.  
  
Nino smiles despite herself, wondering if the man is simply prolonging the conversation just to make her stay. She mentally shakes her head at that.  
  
“Well, I don’t really feel like finishing it,” she explains, “Um, I should go. My lunch break’s almost over, anyway. Again, I’m sorry for earlier. I’ll be careful next time –“  
  
“How about dessert?”  
  
“Eh?”  
  
“I’m Ohno. Ohno Satoshi. I was asking you if maybe you like some dessert instead?”  
  
“S-Sorry?”  
  
The man, Ohno, gives her a reluctant smile. It makes him look so much younger than he obviously is, and Nino mentally bites her lips at the sight. “Well, I just thought – I mean, won’t you get hungry later? You didn’t really eat anything.”  
  
She finds herself grinning here, finally unable to keep herself from doing so anymore. It’s kind of cute, and maybe a little embarrassing, but she likes the attention enough not to mind it.  
  
“Are you trying to tell me something here, Sir?” she says, dimpling at him. He looks harmless, anyway, despite the fact that he’s oozing with sex appeal despite the sleepy demeanor, the way he’s standing there before Nino, smiling though with something like unspoken urgency behind his eyes. He looks a little out of place even, but in a way that tells her he’s no ordinary person.  
  
He gives her a smile then, his eyes casting downwards as if he’s trying to keep himself from looking at her.  
  
“Well, this is going to sound kind of weird but – I just. I need to look at you for a bit longer.” He says.  
  
The woman in her is rejoicing in answer. “Really?”  
  
He gestures for them to sit. “But you don’t even know me,” she grins, not taking his offer and crossing her arms over her chest instead.  
  
“That’s going to change if you sit down with me to talk?”  
  
“You’re fast,” she says, “but as I said, my lunch break’s over. I have to get to work.” She says, just as she watches him fumble for something out of his trouser’s pocket. It turns out he’s fumbling for his wallet, because afterwards he is handing over a card and giving her look that speaks more than what his mouth is saying the second after.  
  
Nino hesitates only for a moment before she takes the card, at the same time another person appears and stands next to the man to whisper something. The man, Ohno, simply inclines his head in answer, his attention still on Nino.  
  
“Will you call me later after work, then?”  
  
“You don’t even know my name yet.” She mumbles, pleased.  
  
“I intend to remedy that soon, if you’ll agree to meet with me after this. Please?”  
  
She dimples at him and gives him a little wave as she makes her exit.  
  
“I’ll think about it.”


	2. Take Two

  
It was a struggle, getting through the rest of the day peacefully when her nerves were on edge and she couldn’t sit still. She knew it wasn’t just the stupid hormones messing it all up - she could deal with it just fine without the unnecessary drama - but it’s difficult to tell what’s happening when there’s an added layer of excitement already buzzing under her skin on top of all those complicated female emotions she’s forced to face every damn month without fail.  
  
Thankfully, five o’clock rolled around without her having to call her best friend for help to dispose of a body, but it was a close call with Maruyama from Finance. Still, it’s nice to be able to finally walk out of the office a few minutes after five to the familiar sight of her best friend’s goofy smile waiting for her outside their office door.  
  
“What time d’you call this?” she demands, without heat, when she steps out of the door and straight into Aiba’s waiting arms, her best friend chuckling and mumbling his apologies into her hair. “You’re the worst, I hope you know that.” she tells him, sighing gently into his chest when he pats her back and squeezes her lightly before he lets go.  
  
“I did apologize for that already, right? Come on, are you really that mad?”  
  
She tsks, pushing him and jabbing him lightly on the chest. “I was promised free lunch and then got ditched off at the last minute. I was looking forward to some ice cream too, you know?”  
  
Aiba’s grin is clearly unrepentant as he throws his gangly arms over her shoulders. “So, now I owe you dinner and dessert, no problem! I’m free all evening, where do you want to go for dinner? We’ll reserve the dessert at home where we can just lounge in our pajamas eating your favorite ice cream. Am I forgiven?”  
  
“No.”  
  
“Naww, Nino-chan, I swear I didn’t mean to miss - wait,” Aiba pauses, walks to her front and gives her a look. “This isn’t just because of that, is it? Did something happen at lunch?”  
  
She groans mentally, cursing Aiba’s inconvenient ability to read her so easily. “What’s worse that could happen than you ditching me to have lunch alone? And pay for it too? Seriously -”  
  
“Oh my god,” Aiba exhales, grinning. Nino doesn’t like the sound of that at all. Completely ignoring her, Aiba nudges her exaggeratedly before throwing an arm around her shoulders again. “Something did, I can feel it. What is it? What is it, Nino-chan?”  
  
“Nothing, shut up already!” she hisses, pushing at him.  
  
“Hah! That’s so suspicious! You’re acting very suspicious right now, Kazu!”  
  
“Oh my god, can you keep it down? People are going to think we’re weird,” she comments drily, but already feeling much better than she was earlier. “Not that that’s something new, but still, can you keep it down until we get to the apartment? I promise to tell you everything if you promise to keep your big mouth shut until then.”  
  
Aiba just grins at her and pecks her cheek. “Jesus, is it because of a guy? It is, isn’t it? Is he hot? Does he have an equally hot best friend or a sexy sister? You know I’m good with either, right?”  
  
“I swear to god I am going to bitch-slap you right here if you don’t shut up.”  
  
“So mean, Nino-chan!”  
  
“Whatever. I’m starving so let’s have that dinner now. Then you can treat me for ice cream later.” she says, hooking her arm around his elbow and holds on, smiling when Aiba simply chuckles and tells her she’s a rightful bitch and he loves her.  
  
Nino says nothing. She knows it and knows that he knows she loves him just as much.  
  
  
+  
  
Dinner was wonderful, and thankfully, a quiet one.  
  
Aiba took her to this western restaurant that serves the best hamburg steak in town, making her order the most expensive one on their menu and almost making her forget her own name on the first bite. Forgiving Aiba after that is just normal, she thinks, so there’s that.  
  
Afterwards, Aiba insisted they buy ice cream at the convenience store near their apartment, so it wouldn’t melt all that much when they reach home. She agreed, only because it was sensible.  
  
About an hour and a half later, they’re on their shared living room lounging on their tank tops and shorts, and eating ice cream straight from the tub. Aiba, as always, is being a complete pig and devouring it like there’s no tomorrow.  
  
Somehow, she’s too preoccupied to even notice.  
  
“Anytime’s a good time to talk, Nino-chan,” Aiba is saying, nudging her in place and being deliberately annoying by clinking their spoons together noisily. Nino groans and tells him off, before scooping a large spoonful and shoving it into his mouth to shut him up.  
  
“ashsidkddildld?”  
  
“Oh my god, if you ended up spraying ice cream everywhere, I’m beating you with this spoon. And then you’re cleaning it all up, you disgusting monster.”  
  
Aiba makes a face at her, swallowing before he talks. “It’s your fault, I’d say! What’s wrong with you, really?”  
  
“Nothing.” she lies through her teeth, but it’s getting increasingly difficult to act like nothing’s bothering her when she doesn’t even know how to do that around Aiba.  
  
“That’s the second time you answered me that, and honestly, it’s beginning to get on my nerves. I’m being serious now, Kazu. Talk to me or I’m waiting for you in the front of your office tomorrow with a baseball bat in hand and I don’t care what comes first - the ambulance or the police, doesn’t really matter.”  
  
“What? What are you going to do that for?”  
  
“To break all of your co-workers’ knees, what else?”  
  
“For what?” she laughs, incredulous though touched that Aiba is willing to go to such length just to protect her. Or so she hopes that’s the case.  
  
“Someone is either bullying you or harassing you, and I’m at this point where I don’t really care what they’re doing. I’m just going to break their legs and be done with it.”  
  
“You’re crazy,”  
  
“Are you going to tell me the truth now or what?” Aiba says, putting his almost empty tub down and reaching over to take hers to do the same.  
  
She rolls her eyes at him. “Fine, it’s about a guy. Happy now?” she says, giving up. Though, it’s not like there’s much to tell at this point, and she tells Aiba as much. “and as I said, it’s nothing. I don’t even remember the guy’s name.” that’s a lie, she completely remembers it, she just doesn’t want Aiba to think she’s swooning.  
  
Even though that’s exactly what she is doing. Oh dear.  
  
“What does he look like?” Aiba asks, after a long moment of silence.  
  
She chuckles. “Small.”  
  
Aiba raises a hand, gestures with his fingers. “This small?” he asks. Nino reaches over and hits him.  
  
“A few centimeters taller than me, give or take.”  
  
Aiba nods in agreement. “Your height, then?”  
  
“Almost.” she says.  
  
“What else?”  
  
She tilts her head. “Dark.”  
  
Aiba frowns. “Foreigner?”  
  
“Nope. Japanese.”  
  
Aiba frowns. “That’s - unusual.”  
  
She shrugs. “It suits him, if you ask me.”  
  
“Could be artificial, then. Tanning salons exist for a reason, after all.”  
  
“I don’t think it came from that,” she says, frowning back, remembering Ohno’s hands, his long fingers and the veins protruding from under the man’s tanned skin. They look strong and capable, like nothing she’s ever seen before. “I’m not sure, really.”  
  
Aiba lets her mull over that for a moment before he asks her again. “Anything else? At least something that could help me imagine him better? I’m guessing since he’s Japanese, he has small eyes?”  
  
“Yeah.”  
  
“Lips?”  
  
“Thin and pouty, the kissable kind.”  
  
“The kind you dig, you mean. Nice. And his hair?”  
  
“A bit on the longer side. Styled. Kind of fluffy.”  
  
Aiba grins at him. “Hmm, let’s see. He’s small and dark, with small eyes and pouty lips. Are you sure you’re not talking about a dog here?”  
  
“Hey!”  
  
Aiba laughs. “Fine, fine, I was just joking,” he says, then, “But I still can’t imagine him well. But I get why you’re acting like this. He’s your type, isn’t he?”  
  
She gives him a look and shrugs. She’s not really sure about that, but obviously, if that’s what Aiba is saying, then maybe that is right. She has no idea she has a type either, but maybe, maybe, she does. Aiba would know it if she does, anyway.  
  
“There’s one more thing though,” she finds herself saying, remembering the way he stares her over and make her blood pound through her ears as he helped her up, his hands around her as if they’ve always belonged there. The way she molded perfectly in his embrace as if she was made for him and him alone.  
  
The way he held her gaze and made her feel wanted, desired.  
  
“What?”  
  
Her lips curve into a smile, her cheeks warm when she cups her palm over them to hide.  
  
“If there was someone you could say personified sex, he was it,” she says, and the memory of his warm hands around her making her hot. “He was sexy as hell, Aiba-shi. In that suit and that smile and - god. I - he wanted me. I think he wanted me. And I think I’m going to say yes. Soon.”  
  
“Woah there, Nino!”  



	3. Ride up

  
It’s not like her to be this distracted, but apparently, that guy, Ohno, has gotten under her skin without her knowing it.  
  
But it has been days since and she still hasn’t called, not because she doesn’t want to but she honestly doesn’t know what to say if she does. And it’s not about her self-esteem either, because she knows herself enough to believe she has the looks (and the bod) to attract the opposite sex without much effort, but somehow, it’s her uneasiness and her tendency to misjudge people that cause her to be cautious.  
  
Sure, she’d admitted quite readily that it won’t probably even take her long to say yes if that guy come up to her and invite her out, and that’s the part she’s trying to avoid. She knows how that works, really, and despite knowing her own limitations, she tends to act dumb when faced with someone she’s obviously attracted to.  
  
Aiba knows this too, of course, so her best friend tries to be the voice of reason for when her own decides to turn the other way and leaves her alone.   
  
It’s day three today and she’s at least thankful that she’d gotten the itch under control, at least for the time being. It’s difficult, of course it is, especially when she could still feel the man’s touch against her skin as if he’d branded her there. She doesn’t want to keep thinking about how his hands seem to know where to hold her, how gentle he was with her then even though he had no idea who she was, but she just couldn’t help it.  
  
She gets into the elevator absently, pushes the number of her floor then goes to stare blankly on her reflection belatedly realizing she is alone. She heaves a sigh, still thinking about the card and the contact number she doesn’t realize she’s memorized now, and shakes her head. She’s being ridiculous, for fuck’s sake, and it’s not even –  
  
The elevator halts to a stop, the sudden movement causing her to stumble a little on her feet. Thankfully, that also prompted her to quit mentally beating herself up repeatedly for worrying over something that hasn’t happened yet.  
  
At least until the elevator door opens and the last person she wants to see right then casually gets in and joins her.  
  
She wonders what kind of sick joke this is, until the door closes and the elevator starts its ascend, at least until the man walks towards the elevator panel and slides a key, causing the elevator to stop.  
  
Nino feels as if her heart stops too.  
  
“W-What are you doing?” she manages to croak as the man turns to face her. He looks amused, if the little smile tugging at the corner of his lovely mouth is of any indication.  
  
“Greeting you properly,” he says, “so, hello. It’s nice to see you again, Ninomiya-san.”  
  
She frowns. She doesn’t remembering giving him his name. “How did you know my name? I don’t remember – “  
  
“Telling me when we met at the restaurant three days ago, yes, but I have my ways. Also, please don’t be afraid. I’m not a bad person. I just – “ he pauses here, looking boyish and uncertain, and Nino’s heart does that silly dance inside her ribcage.  
  
“I thought you said you will call me?” the man segues, and Nino feels ridiculously warm all of a sudden.  
  
She’s laughing despite herself, shaking her head as she crosses her arms over her chest as she gives the man a look.  
  
“I don’t remember saying that.” She says.  
  
“That’s – probably right, but you did say you’ll think about it, but it has been days and I haven’t heard from you so it’s really kind of a wonderful coincidence that I saw you – “  
  
“Wait, seriously, are you saying I have a deadline?”  
  
“Well, not really, it’s just that I gave you my card and I’m sure you didn’t throw it away, so that means you were considering calling me, so, why haven’t you?”  
  
She’s equally amused now that she can’t help but laugh softly in answer. “Do I really have to answer that right now? Really? I mean, here? Can’t you, I don’t know, find some place more appropriate to ask me these questions?”  
  
“No, but I’m asking anyway,” the man says, stepping closer. “Shit, am I scaring you? I’m sorry, I just – I really don’t know how to do this, but I saw you enter the building when I randomly checked the CCTV cameras and I just – I have to follow you and see you for myself, just to make sure I wasn’t imagining you.”  
  
“That’s – Do you think I’ll believe that?” she counters, trying to sound unfazed despite the fact that the proximity is making her feel light-headed. The closeness, coupled with the lovely scent of the man’s cologne is lethal, and Nino doesn’t have enough leverage to get out of this situation unscathed.   
  
“I’ll never lie to you, Ninomiya-san,” he whispers, as if he knows she’s already weak in the knees and only the fact that she has her back against the elevator wall that she hasn’t fallen yet. “I promise you that. You might not believe me now, but I intend to show you how desperate I am that we be acquainted.”  
  
“I don’t even – why are you even doing this?” she asks, in lieu of saying something embarrassing, because she knows she’s on the verge of pushing herself against him so they could be acquainted with each other right then and there.  
  
His fingertip ends up on her cheekbone, just under her right eye, stroking softly he might as well be touching her most intimate parts, feeling herself warms under the gesture as he backs her lightly against the elevator wall.  
  
“Come with me to my office and I’ll tell you.”


	4. Tied down

She vaguely noticed the floor they stopped on - it’s difficult to be mindful of her surroundings when the warmth of the man’s arm settling around the small of her back is distracting enough as it is - as he guides her out of the elevator carefully and into another door, this time into an elegant double glass door, then towards a brightly-lit office reception huge enough to fit about seven of her own cubicle office inside.  
  
A beautiful man about Nino’s age is immediately striding forward to greet them when they get inside, Nino’s steps faltering, watching the man bowing his head at them in greeting, wondering what kind of weird dream she’s having, one that involves pretty men that look like they come straight from the pages of those glossy idol magazines her sister liked reading in high school.  
  
“Jun-kun, hold all my calls, please.” the man, Ohno-san, says, his voice loud enough to be heard, not even waiting for the guy he called Jun to answer before he is once again leading Nino into another door, a wooden one this time, Ohno pushing it open and gently steering her inside before closing it behind them.  
  
The office this time around is sophisticated in its simplicity; the wall separating this and the reception outside is glass decorated with off-white colored blinds that ke eps the inside of the office from being seen outside.  
  
The unexpected privacy makes her uneasy for some reason, especially when she realizes they are still standing so close together and she’s almost backed against the closed door the same way she was earlier when they were in the elevator.  
  
She clears her throat and tries to step away, faintly hearing Ohno’s amused chuckling in return. Annoyed, she holds her head high and throws the man a glare as she tries to wriggle free from his hold.  
  
“I’m not going to run off so you can take your hand back now, Sir.” She bites out with all the annoyance she could muster, even though she knows she’s being unreasonable. Certainly, it’s not just the man’s fault she’s here, and she knows for a fact that Ohno didn’t force her here either.  
  
“It’s Ohno Satoshi, Ninomiya-san, whichever name you prefer to call me with is fine, really,” Ohno says, unperturbed, hand sliding across the curve of her hips this time around and staying there. Nino wants to tell him off but she can’t find the energy to do so, especially when she herself finds it hard to say something she knows she doesn’t mean.  
  
“Fine, Ohno-san then. Please get off me.” She hisses, without heat, feeling her heart beating rapidly in her chest at the proximity. It doesn’t help that the man sure looks like he’s enjoying Nino’s obvious uneasiness immensely, though she can’t tell much by how softly he’s staring Nino over, his smile lethal enough to make her wet.  
  
“Am I – all over you right now?”  
  
“Don’t be cute,” she snaps, pushing his hand away and regretting it because then it ends up with her fingers twisted in the front of his suit, bringing her closer to him before she even realized what’s happening.  
  
“I’m not doing anything, I promise,” he says, and this time he obviously takes pity on Nino and lets her go. “I just want to talk. Can I offer you anything, at least?”  
  
She tsks and crosses her arms over her chest to cover the way her hands are trembling. “If you haven’t noticed it, I have a job I have to go to and it’s obviously not here so, can I go? If you really want to talk to me, we can do that during my lunch break. I’m guessing you already know where to find me.”  
  
“Tell me which company you’re working for and I’ll make sure to let them know you’ll come in a little late, how’s that sound?”  
  
She gasps, feigning horror. “What would you even do that for?”  
  
“I found an opportunity to talk to you so I’m taking it,” he reasons, taking his suit jacket off as he speaks. Then he slides it over the back of the chair there and turns to face Nino again. “I know how this looks, but I swear I don’t mean you any harm. By now, you probably know why I’m doing this. You can make things easier by agreeing to meet me after your work is done so I won’t have to do something as drastic as chasing you.”  
  
“W-What?”  
  
He crosses the short distance between her and the chair he’d set his jacket down, his eyes never leaving hers. “I like you, Ninomiya-san. From the very first time I laid eyes on you, even. Will you go out with me?”  
  
Despite knowing she is secretly swooning, she does her best to stand her ground. She may like him too, but that doesn’t mean she’s going to give in that easily.  
  
Right?  
  
“That’s nice, but what if I tell you I don’t want to?”  
  
He frowns. “Why? Are you in a relationship with someone right now?”  
  
She holds her head high in defiance. “And if I am? Will you let me go and leave me alone?”  
  
“No,” he says, firmly. “If you haven’t noticed it, Ninomiya-san, I’m a very persuasive man. I don’t give up easily.”  
  
“Good for you, but as it is, I have no intention of cheating with my – with whoever I’m going out with so, can I go now? I obviously don’t have the same luxury as yours since you’re clearly the boss around here, and if I don’t leave now, I’ll be late.” She turns then, reaching for the doorknob and stopping when she feels Ohno’s presence on her back, warm and sturdy and real.  
  
She could feel her breath catching in her throat when his own warm breath tickles the back of her neck when he speaks, his voice sounds like a caress against her sensitive skin.  
  
“Fine, but at least say goodbye properly before you go,” Ohno says, fingers catching her around the elbow, steering her around. Nino’s breathing accelerating before she realizes what is happening, eyes shutting close as he wheels her around. “Open your eyes and look at me, Ninomiya-san. Look at me when you say goodbye, please.”  
  
She forces her eyes open, parts her mouth to say the words but nothing came out.  
  
Ohno seizes that opportunity by leaning in forward and sealing his mouth on Nino’s, catching her offguard with a kiss that is both passionate and tender, one hand on Nino’s nape and the other on Nino’s waist, holding Nino close.


	5. Tied down : Redux

He pins her against his office door with an arm around the small of her back as he kisses her, soft that it’s almost chaste and driving Nino mad with desire despite herself. She can’t help but notice how soft his lips are as they move tenderly against her own, his other hand that is not occupied with stroking the small of her back is alternating between smoothing a gentle line from her jaw to her eyelids and then settling on her nape to keep her in place.  
  
The kiss stays soft and sweet, if only because Ohno is deliberately keeping it that way. On the other hand, Nino feels the need gnawing at her from deep within her, the urge to deepen the kiss is so strong she could barely resist it.  
  
He pulls away to look at her as if on cue, and a whine of protest finds its way out the back of her throat before she could stop it.  
  
“God, Ninomiya-san, you’re driving me crazy,” he rasps out, thumbing her cheek. She huffs in answer in lieu of telling him he’s not the only one, but shakes her head instead.  
  
“You know what this means, right?” Ohno-san follows with a grin that just about rob Nino off of her next breath as she looks at him, charmed yet again at how he manages to look so damn irresistible and sheepish all at the same time. “You and I, we’re inevitable. You can’t stop us, Ninomiya-san.”  
  
She chuckles and jabs Ohno-san lightly on his chest. “I hate to break it to you, Ohno-san, but you’re obviously way out of my league and I don’t think this is gonna work,” she whispers, licking her dry lips without taking her gaze off of Ohno’s face. She finds herself charmed despite her earlier misgivings, finds him so nice to look at as she stands there enjoying the way he watches her in return.  
  
“Don’t say that like it’s a bad thing,” is what he tells her and pulls her closer. “You don’t know me yet and I swear that’s going to change once you allow me the luxury to get close to you.” She gasps at the sudden movement, awed at the way he makes her feel trapped, wanted, desired, despite the fact that he’s still obviously giving her all the chance she needed to get away if she wants to.  
  
“It might take a lot of hard work, but I’m not afraid of that. I’ll win you over, if that’s what you want me to do. All I ask is for you to give me a chance.”  
  
She chuckles, already knowing she’s going to let him anyway. She pushes him away lightly, and quietly enjoys the way his arms tighten around him in return.  
  
“Let go. Are you saying I should break off with my – with the person I’m with just to date you? Well, Ohno-san, I’m sorry to burst your bubble but I’m not that kind of woman.” She says, remembering the lie she told him earlier if only so he would let him go, wriggling out of his hold and doing it again.  
  
He doesn’t budge. “I’m not saying you are, but we both know this means something. Look me in the eyes and tell me I’m just imagining it.” He says, daring her.  
  
“I don’t know, but maybe I’ll think about it. How about you let me go so I could do that, in peace? Also, may I remind you again about the job I have? You’re seriously keeping me from it and I’m not okay with that.”  
  
“I’ll talk to your boss, whoever she is. Don’t worry about it.”  
  
“My boss is a man, and are you being serious right now?”  
  
He pins her firmly against the door and tucks a stray of stubborn hair behind her ear. “It doesn’t matter, and yes, to answer both your questions.”  
  
She rolls her eyes, wondering what’s keeping her from outright knocking him unconscious. Obviously, it has something to do with her own damn indecisiveness, but maybe it’s also because a part of her likes him enough not to mind being chased like this, too.  
  
“I thought you’ve already given up earlier,” she murmurs, watching him watching her. “I was going to say goodbye after all –“  
  
He touches her lips and the gesture makes her swoon before she realizes it, makes her want to just give up all pretenses and tell him yes. But she doesn’t know him at all, and everything she sees around her right now makes her second guess herself and his intentions. Why would someone like him be interested in her, really? It’s so easy to figure out how big shot he is, and how easily he could have anyone to come and please him, so why bother wooing her?  
  
“I think you didn’t hear what I told you earlier, Ninomiya-san,” he rasps out, leaning in closer to speak the words right into her cheek, soft and almost breathless. “I like you. I _want_ you. And after that kiss you allowed me to have a while ago, I don’t think I’ll be able to stop wanting you. _Ever_.”  
  
“You don’t even know what you’re saying –“  
  
“Oh, but I do, Ninomiya-san,” he says, cupping her cheek and leaning in to rest their foreheads together. “And I intend to show you how serious I am. If you let me.”  
  
She knows there’s no escaping this anymore, and it’s not like she wants to, either. Her own instinct is betraying her, and she could feel the way she softens up to him despite herself.  
  
“You’re a stubborn one, aren’t you?” she whispers, melting into the warm cradle of his embrace before she could even stop herself, panting softly as he chuckles into her cheek and whispers her name.  
  
“Sorry about that.”  
  
She tilts her head bites her lip. “Yeah.” She says, and kisses him.  
  
+  
  
She reminds herself that she’s doing this just to shut him up, but even that sounds really ridiculous in her head especially with the way she’s moaning into his lips like she can’t get enough of him. Her fingers tighten in his hair when he ducks his head and captures her mouth fully, his velvet-soft tongue tracing her bottom lip with purpose before shoving its way past her lips. This time, not even she could deny the raw hunger rolling off her when he growls into her mouth, one hand worming around the back of her head to steady as he eats her mouth hungrily.  
  
They’re both panting hard when they pull apart, and Nino decides he looks even hotter now that his eyes have gone dark and he’s looking at her like he wants to do her right there, against his office door. She could feel her core tighten with anticipation at the way he runs his fingers from her jaw to her collarbones, gasping for breath when he smoothes the corner of her mouth with his fingertip.  
  
“You’re a tease. God, what wouldn’t I give to have you look at me like that while you’re underneath me, screaming my name?”  
  
“Not gonna happen,” she smirks, amuse and breathless. “This doesn’t mean anything, Ohno-san.”  
  
“The hell it doesn’t.” he says, both of them freezing on the spot when someone calls out from outside the door. It’s the man that greeted them earlier. “Yes, Jun-kun?”  
  
“Pardon the intrusion, Sir, but your eight-thirty is here. Shall I ask him to wait or should I tell him we’d have to reschedule this meeting?”  
  
“Okay, Jun-kun. Just give me a minute and we’ll be right out.”  
  
Ohno-san groans, tipping his head over and resting his forehead briefly against Nino’s shoulder. Then he pulls away, letting Nino go but not before pulling them away from the door with difficulty.  
  
“Shit, I don’t want to send you off but this is an important meeting. I can’t miss it.”  
  
She rolls her eyes at him, already missing his warmth. God, what the hell is wrong with her?  
  
“You’re making it sound like it’s my fault, wow. I’m leaving. Please forget this happened. I just – I obviously just lost my head for a minute there. And again, I’m not ditching m-my boyfriend for you.”  
  
Ohno-san hums and before she realizes it, he’s pulling her against him again, arms brand around her waist tightly, almost possessively.  
  
“Oh, you will, Ninomiya-san,” he says, pressing his lips against the side of her temple. “You’re going to ditch him for me and you’re going to do it soon. We’re going to happen, Ninomiya-san. You and I. Even if it’s going to be too much trouble, it’s all going to be worth every damn minute of it once we’re together. Keep that in mind.” He says, kissing her quick before pulling away.  
  
Then he’s offering her a smile before stepping back. “Come, I’ll show you out.” and she gives in without thinking.  
  
She’s on the elevator on her way down when she realized what she’d done.  
  
“Oh, crap.”


	6. Slow burn

Lunch break rolls around and Nino still hasn’t figured out what in hell happened to her that morning. She did her work as if on autopilot, but doing so obviously has its horrible downside because she’s obviously not herself.  
  
Her boss, Taichi-san, immediately noticed it, apparently after the seventh time in a row she brought him coffee.  
  
“Look,” Taichi-san looks stressed, and possibly a little worried as Nino sits there contemplating about going home early. She can’t do that, though. Taichi-san has a scheduled meeting with the marketing executives of Samiijima Industries where she’s expected to attend, too.  
  
“I know it’s not my business, but – Nino, are you okay?” Taichi-san asks, frowning at her from where he’s perched himself on the edge of Nino’s table, staring Nino down.  
  
“I – of course! Why wouldn’t I be? Hmm, is there something wrong? It’s lunch break, aren’t you going to eat?”  
  
Taichi-san gives her a look. “I should ask you the same thing,” he says.  
  
She shakes her head. “I’m not hungry.”  
  
“No shit,” Taichi-san counters, and Nino grins despite herself.  
  
“I’m – on a diet?” she tries, knowing her boss is someone who’s not easily deterred. She’s only been working for him for under a year, but she swears she enjoys her job more than she could dare to admit because of Taichi-san himself. He’s comfortable to work with, and Nino could readily admit that she’s never had a boss like the man himself, whom she could consider a friend despite him also being her superior.  
  
“Don’t give me that bullshit, Ninomiya. We both know you don’t need it. Come have lunch with me. Whatever it is that’s bothering you, you can either share it with me or lock it away in your drawer forever. Let’s go.”  
  
Shaking her head and grabbing her purse, and her phone, she forces herself upright knowing that Taichi-san isn’t going anywhere without her. She heaves a sigh and follows Taichi-san to the door.  
  
+  
  
They ended up at a Chinese Restaurant a couple of blocks over. Thankfully, Taichi-san had stopped asking questions about Nino’s unusual behavior once the food arrived. Nino had to force herself to eat, all the while remembering the way Ohno-san had held her close as he kissed her, and distracting herself from it when she realized how silly she must look as she daydreamed about him.  
  
On the way back to the office, her phone vibrates in her hand. Taichi-san is still talking aloud about the upcoming meeting – the documents in his desk that need polishing, reminding Nino to call Samiijima’s office for confirmation – and Nino sort of just shuts him out as she checks her phone.  
  
It’s from an unknown number. It simply reads, _Are you free tonight? Have dinner with me_ … feeling her pulse skyrocketing in answer realizing who the message is from. She doesn’t remember giving him her number, so, how in the world did he manage to get it?  
  
Shaking her head, she locks her phone and shoves it in her pocket just in time to catch Taichi-san turning to her to ask her if he has leftover parsley in between his teeth.  
  
He does.  
  
“If I say no, does that mean you’re foregoing brushing your teeth before the meeting?” she says.  
  
Taichi-san’s scowl is so funny Nino can’t help but crack a smile in return.  
  
+  
  
The meeting is going to be held on Samiijima Industry’s Marketing Department on the fifty first. On the way there, Nino notices Taichi-san’s uneasiness, which she finds endearingly amusing despite the fact that it’s normal.  
  
She gets it, somehow; this proposal, if it gets through, is going to take Taichi-san places. And Nino is honestly thrilled that she’s part of the team that made it happen.  
  
“Oh crap, my hands are sweating,” Taichi-san mutters when they step out of the elevator, heading towards the door to Samiijima’s Marketing department office. “Nino, are you sure we’ve got everything in there? We didn’t forget anything, did we?”  
  
“Taichi-san, relax. Everything’s fine. We’ve triple checked everything, and I swear they’re all here. Just calm down, okay?”  
  
“Jesus, easy for you to say.” Taichi-san says, heaving a deep breath as they stand in front of the Samiijima office door. It took him a few seconds to compose himself before he found the courage to ring the intercom.  
  
The door slides open as if on cue.  
  
She braces herself as he takes the first, tentative steps into the door.  
  
“Here we go.”  
  
+  
  
Somehow, to say that Nino is surprised to see Ohno-san there doesn’t even quite cut it.  
  
The man looks just as surprised seeing her, but he’s obviously better at hiding it. Nino, on the other hand, is caught completely off-guard.  
  
“Ohno-san, good afternoon. I am Kokubun Taichi, and this is my assistant, Ninomiya Kazuko. We’re here for the presentation of the – “  
  
“Ah, Kokubun-san, yes, of course,” Ohno-san cuts in, meeting them halfway to shake their hands. When he takes her hand, however, Nino knows she’s shaking as he eyes her warmly.  
  
“Ninomiya-san, nice to see you again.”  
  
“Wait, you two know each other?” Taichi-kun sputters, before he could probably bite his tongue. Nino would have laughed at her boss for it but finds it difficult to do so, especially when all her senses have somewhat refocus themselves on the man standing before her, on the way he’s caressing her palm like nothing exists in the world save from the two of them.  
  
And to be fair, as Nino swallows the urge to do something that would surely embarrass them both, it feels exactly that way right now.


	7. Reap

Nino likes to think she’s mature enough to be able to handle herself (and her emotions) like a proper grownup, but that’s totally questionable now that she’s having trouble focusing her attention to what’s important – Taichi-san’s presentation, the documents she has in front of her, her goddamn job, to be exact – because Ohno-san’s presence alone is distracting enough as it is.  
  
It would have been totally easy to pretend she’s not eyeing Ohno-san when the other man is not looking, but it’s difficult when they’re both doing the same thing. She doesn’t only feel the other man’s eyes on her, she could acutely feel his presence even despite the relative distance as if they’re sitting next to each other and not apart, and that, in itself, is honestly distracting Nino from doing her job properly.  
  
The knowledge that the man literally owns Samiijima Industries – and probably half of all existing businesses in Tokyo – also doesn’t help ease her anxiety, simply because she knows how it works. She’s not in the habit of belittling herself, at least if she could help it, but just watching Ohno-san right now as he throws questions after relevant questions towards Taichi-san’s way about their project presentation makes her quiver quietly in her seat in combined admiration and respect.  
  
How could this man openly admit he likes her – wants her, even – when he could have any woman swooning at his feet with just a simple wave of his hand? Nino honestly doesn’t get it.  
  
“I like where you are going with this, Taichi-san,” Ohno-san says, at the same time Nino’s boss stopped talking. “Just a quick one, though,” he says, squinting at the information on the screen of his laptop carefully. “Is it just me or you really haven’t listed the prospective areas for these billboard ads yet?”  
  
Oh, crap. “Ah, well, no, sorry about that, Ohno-san. We thought we could get to that when the proposal goes through. I mean, I didn’t think you’d be asking for that when we all know that this is just the initial presentation and –“  
  
“Well, I’m asking because I want you to start on this right away,” Ohno-san says, cutting Taichi-san off. “Obviously, the prospective locations are important. Can you work on it as soon as you can and get back to me with the list on, say, the day after tomorrow? The sooner the better, but of course, I know surveys do take a while so, how about you get back to me after two days? Ninomiya-san could prepare all the necessary additional documents to hand it over to me in my office by then.” Ohno-san says, gaze settling on Nino knowingly.  
  
Nino feels like scowling but reminds herself of the many reasons why she shouldn’t. Instead, she bites the inside of her cheeks and bows her head in affirmation without saying anything.  
  
“Fantastic,” Ohno-san exclaims before he stands, everyone in the room doing the same. “And if I have anything I’d want to add to that, I can, right?”  
  
Taichi-san looks rather pleased with the meeting’s outcome, and with himself, matter-of-factly. Nino honestly couldn’t blame him.  
  
“Of course, Ohno-san,” Taichi-san readily agrees. “Anything you need, just ask. We’ll be happy to accommodate them if we could, of course.”  
  
“Great,” Ohno-san agrees, gesturing for his three other employees to go. “I’ll make sure to inform Ninomiya-san if I have other requests, then.” Ohno-san says. Then, like an afterthought, he adds, “That’s not going to be a problem for you or for her, is it?”  
  
Taichi-san shakes his head in answer. “Oh, not at all, Ohno-san,” Nino’s boss replies with a big smile, showing all of his teeth and making her roll her eyes at him mentally in answer.  
  
“Wonderful,” Ohno-san quips, and just as Nino has excused herself to follow Ohno-san’s employees out the door, the man calls her name and says, “Do you have a minute, Ninomiya-san? Taichi-san, you don’t mind leaving Ninomiya-san here for a minute? I’ll just have to get her contact details so my assistant could follow her up for the list. If that’s okay with you, of course.”  
  
Nino thinks of declining, but Taichi-san waving his hand at Ohno-san in answer, before muttering, “Eh, of course!” stops her before she even could, clearing the documents on the table before Nino manages to do it herself. Then he is out the door before Nino could even voice out her protest, watching her boss’ back as he slips out of the conference door.  
  
“You’re trying to avoid me,” Ohno-san says, to Nino’s back. Nino turns to face the man and swallows hard, because that phantom itch is back again and the man’s presence is what’s obviously fueling it.  
  
“Aren’t you, Ninomiya-san?”  
  
She chuckles, if only to cover up the way her fingers are shaking and she’s having trouble looking Ohno-san in the eyes. “Obviously, I won’t be here if that were true.” She says.  
  
Ohno-san hums in affirmation and startles Nino when she feels the man’s fingers cupping her chin.  
  
“Maybe,” Ohno-san says, “but I bet you wouldn’t even be here if you knew you would be presenting that proposal to me instead.”  
  
Fair point, Nino thinks, but she decides not to voice that out. She shrugs instead, then steps away, or at least tries to, but Ohno-san catches on fast. He’s settling his palm across Nino’s nape before she could even move away, shrieking when the man uses his other hand to catch Nino around the waist.  
  
“Will you quit that?” she snaps, but she knows it lacks its supposed bite. She’s certain he won’t even believe her if she tries, especially when she couldn’t even keep herself from leaning to him as he pulls her closer.  
  
“Sure, but only if you stop running,” Ohno-san muses, fingers warm and possessive against their grip on Nino’s hip. “You know I’d only end up chasing you when you do that, so let’s make things easier for the both of us, shall we?”  
  
“I don’t even know what you’re going on about,” she complains then does her best to peel Ohno-san’s hands off her. This time, Ohno-san lets her. “Let me remind you that I’m here for work, so, if you don’t have anything to say to me, I’m leaving.” She says, stepping back.  
  
“Not so fast, Ninomiya-san,” Ohno-san counters, catching her around the elbow to stop her from fleeing. “Slow down, please? You still haven’t given me your number yet. I did tell your boss I need it so I could contact you for the list, right?”  
  
“You mean my office number and not my personal mobile number, right?” she clarifies.  
  
“It would be better if I have both,” Ohno-san says.  
  
“Why?”  
  
Ohno-san smiles sheepishly, and Nino is honestly charmed at the way that smile looks so good on him.  
  
“So I’ll have a reason to call you when you’re out of the office, too, of course.” he says, straight-forward and sure, the only way he knows how. Nino finds herself chuckling in amusement and something entirely else, shaking her head as she does so.  
  
“I hope you know you’re being weird, Ohno-san, _Sir_ ,” she says, emphasizing the last word with another shake of her head, hoping she didn’t sound as helpless as she feels. “And unbelievable. Do you even know what you’re doing? Seriously?”  
  
Ohno-san nods in agreement before he reaches over to smooth a finger across Nino’s cheek in a way that makes her blush, both from the sweet gesture and unexpected attention.  
  
“Believe me, Ninomiya-san, I know,” Ohno-san mumbles, “and it’s insane, I know that too, but I just can’t help it. Can’t help feeling this way about you, really. I have to get to know you better and I intend to do whatever it takes to make it happen. And this is me hoping you will let me.”  
  
To be honest, Nino has no answer to that, so she doesn’t bother. After all, she knows, deep down inside, that Ohno-san isn’t the only one.  
  
+  
  
“You want me to what?” she bites out, throwing her boss a glare that would have probably send other people running, but she guesses Taichi-san is just – different. After all, the older man simply grins as if she’s being funny.  
  
To be fair, it’s not like she’s acting up; her reaction is just as expected, she thinks, because, how can she not? Obviously, Taichi-san is being ridiculous; does he even know what he’s doing?  
  
“Attend this company dinner on my behalf, yes, I think you heard me the first time, Nino-chan, don’t say you didn’t. I’m fairly certain that even Kuchi-kun from accounts heard me, just saying.” Taichi-san says, waving a hand at her before sitting back on his chair and looking her over.  
  
“But the invitation’s clearly–“  
  
“I know, but I already called the organizers and told them someone else would be there on my behalf, so, problem solved. Anything else?”  
  
She makes a face at Taichi-san and cross her arms over her chest, standing her ground. “What if I say I don’t want to go?” she asks, if only so he won’t think he could just go and do as he pleases, especially when doing so would make her miss her nightly date with her game console.  
  
“I have no problem with that, really, but just to let you know, this decision didn’t come from me. Higayashima-san came down here to tell me that himself.”  
  
From their President himself? What the hell? “But why?” she asks, confused.  
  
Taichi-san shrugs. “Apparently, there’s an advocacy dinner Higayashima-san was invited to but can’t make it because he has another engagement he forgot he has to go to today. So, I’ll be going there instead.”  
  
“Can’t someone else go instead of you?”  
  
“Believe me, Nino-chan, I checked,” Taichi-san sighs, “Obviously, there’s just you and me. So, please, do me a favor and reschedule your date tonight for, say, tomorrow? I promise I won’t ask you again.”  
  
“Right. As if I have a choice, which I don’t, obviously.”  
  
Taichi-san’s grin is triumphant as it is smug, and Nino rolls her eyes at him in answer. She bows without saying anything and waltz her way out of Taichi-san’s office just in time to catch the phone on her desk ringing.  
  
“Hello?”  
  
“Ninomiya-san, hello. It’s me, Ohno. Are you free to talk?” Ohno-san’s voice surprises Nino out of her wits, but she does her best not to show it. She swallows past the nervousness that lodges itself on her throat - hearing the other man’s voice obviously has that effect on her now – as she sits on her chair and breathes, deeply, to calm herself.  
  
“Ninomiya-san? Are you there?”  
  
Nino shuts her eyes close. “Y-Yeah. What is it?”  
  
“Sorry for calling, I know you might be busy so I’ll be quick,” Ohno-san starts, without preamble; Nino realizes she’s bracing herself without her even knowing she’s doing it. “I heard from Taichi-san that you’re going to the company dinner tonight instead of him.”  
  
She frowns, vaguely thankful he couldn’t see her. “Yes, why?”  
  
“Let’s go together.” Ohno-san says.  
  
“Wait, you mean you’re going there too?” she asks, feeling stupid right after the words are out of her mouth.  
  
“Yes, and so are you. I already check with Taichi-san earlier, that’s why I’m asking. I hope it’s okay. Can I pick you up in, like, half hour before seven?”  
  
“O-Okay.”  
  
“Great. I’ll see you later then.” He says, then hangs up.  
  
It’s when she put the phone down that she realized what she’s done, followed by the fact that she doesn’t even own a dress or anything close to a decent wardrobe fit for such event she just agreed to attend with none other than the man she’d rather not see, at least for the time being. Not to mention the fact that she has no idea how and where she would meet Ohno-san when she doesn’t even remember telling him where she lives.  
  
Groaning, she lets her head drop in her hands, wondering what in hell she’s thinking.


	8. Yearn

  
“If you ask me, I really think he’s into you,” Aiba says, conversationally, as he is thoughtfully picking through her choices, piling one dress after another, throwing them on her bed for him to look over. It’s not like she trusts his judgment better when it comes to dressing up for an event, but she knows it is way better than to trust her own in picking an outfit and then suffers the humiliation later.  
  
After all, if there’s someone who knows how to look good on a simple pair of shirt and jeans, that would be her best friend. And maybe Ohno-san, too, but she’s obviously not going there now, is she?  
  
“And I hate to break it to you, Nino-chan, but I think you’re into him too.”  
  
She scoffs. It’s not like she’s denying it, but admitting it out loud is a completely different matter altogether. She knows herself enough to realize that, and despite her initial plans to stay as far away as she could from Ohno-san, that’s obviously far from happening now.  
  
“Am I wrong?”  
  
She shrugs. “I’m not going to dignify that with an answer,” she says, “although we both know I don’t have to.”  
  
“Nope,” Aiba says, turning to her and giving her a wink. “since it’s – kind of already all over your face,” Aiba says, pointing at her face and gesturing with his fingers. “I can tell you’re trying hard not to give in to it, to him, but you’re clearly failing. He’s the same guy you were telling me about, right?”  
  
She sighs. “Yes.”  
  
Her reaction seems to trigger her best friend’s protective instinct, because right after, he is turning completely around to face her, frowning at her, his lips curled with worry.  
  
“Kazu, seriously, is there something wrong? Is there something else you’re not telling me, about this guy?”  
  
“No,” she says, quickly, before she recovers herself. “I mean, nothing’s wrong. It’s just. He makes me feel – weird.”  
  
“Good weird or bad weird?” Aiba clarifies.  
  
“I’m not really sure,” she answers, shaking her head, wondering if she’s even making sense. She doesn’t even know anymore. “Just – being around him scares me and - excites me at the same time. When he looks at me, it feels like I’m the only person in the room and it’s – it scares me, in a way I couldn’t explain. A part of me knows he won’t do anything to hurt me, but another part keeps telling me I should stay away from him anyway. It’s rather confusing.”  
  
“Do you feel ill when he’s close? Or when he touches you?” Aiba asks, and this time, Nino notes that her best friend’s voice is softer, his expression fond.  
  
She remembers the way Ohno-san held her close, possessive and equal-parts wanting, the way she leaned into his touch as if she couldn’t exactly help it. She’s drawn to him as he is to her, and that’s not something she had a chance to think over, not that she doesn’t want to but just she doesn’t know where to begin, apart from the fact that he wants her enough to make her cautious.  
  
That part, she’s still trying to wrap her head around, but god knows she still couldn’t fully understand it all.  
  
“No, not really.”  
  
“Nino-chan, this is me, okay? It’s just you and me here. You don’t have to be afraid. You can tell me anything, I promise I won’t judge,” Aiba says, voice still soft and coaxing. “It’s not about your – what your Dad did, is it?”  
  
She releases a somewhat shaky breath, Aiba’s hand catching her when she wobbles shakily on her feet. She hasn’t thought that far ahead, not really, but it seems like her best friend had caught on her pretty quickly. She hasn’t thought about it, but she guesses the pattern is so familiar now that Aiba has managed to read the signs before she does.  
  
“I’m – not really –“  
  
Aiba pulls her into a hug before she could even finish. “Kazu, not everyone is like _him_ , you know that, right?” Aiba says, into her temple, squeezing her tight and making her feel safe. It’s not something she openly talks about with just about anyone, but Aiba knows her struggles with her past that still obviously affecting her in the present.  
  
“Of course,” she agrees, before she pulls away. “Do you think this – this is because of that?”  
  
“I’d cut my own arm if you say it isn’t,” Aiba tells her, “and I understand, I totally do; you’re trying to be cautious, I know that, I can see that, but you know you don’t always have to be, right?”  
  
To that, she doesn’t really have an answer. And Aiba knows her enough not to ask.  
  
+  
  
It’s a little over six when she decides to call Ohno-san.  
  
She doesn’t really want to, but she guesses she’s left with too little choices at this point. She did agree into going with him to that party, after all, so doing the opposite would only make her look rather – silly. She pulls her robe tighter around her – she’s actually in the middle of preparing, doing her own hair and make up for an event like this is not something she would readily admit she’s good at, but a girl’s gotta do what she has to do – before sitting her ass on the sofa as she punches the number on the card Ohno-san gave her a few days ago on her phone.  
  
Ohno-san answers on the third ring. “Ninomiya-san, hi.”  
  
Nino starts to frown – how come he knows she’s the one calling? – when she remembers giving him her phone number when he asked for it earlier, after their proposal/meeting.  
  
“Um, hi. Ohno-san, I just called to ask – “  
  
“If I’m on my way? Yes, Ninomiya-san. I’m actually already here.” Ohno-san says.  
  
Nino finds herself on her feet in the next moment, looking around their tiny apartment in confusion.  
  
“What? Here where?” she asks, just to clarify.  
  
“At your door. Care to open up, please?” he says, at the same time he hears the sound of their doorbell ringing. Shocked, she crosses the short distance to the door, unlocking it, belatedly realizing how terribly underdressed she is, with only her bathrobe on and nothing else underneath as she opens the door for Ohno-san.  
  
For a moment, Ohno-san just stands there, looking her over avidly, raw hunger behind his eyes. Nino suddenly feels bare, naked though she isn’t entirely, underneath Ohno-san’s heated gaze. She pulls her robe tighter around her like an automatic reflex, and the action prompts Ohno-san to take his gaze away from her body before he settles it on her face.  
  
“Ninomiya-san,” Ohno-san breathes; he sounded awe and he looks like it too, and Nino feels it acutely. “I hope I’m not too early?”  
  
Nino rolls her eyes at him in answer, before she takes a step back to let him in, since he’s already halfway inside the door anyway.  
  
“You’re joking, right?”  
  
“Right, I’m too early,” Ohno-san says, mouth twisting sheepishly. Nino backs away when the man takes another step, but not before making sure he’s locked the door behind him. “I didn’t want to make you wait?” he says, closing the short distance between them and thus effectively trapping her against the wall.  
  
She swallows hard, gripping the front of her robe tightly. She could feel the warmth coming from Ohno-san’s body, his equally-warm breath painting her face when he leans forward to drop a soft, barely-there kiss to her cheek.  
  
“I don’t even know how you – found out where I’m staying,” she manages to say, gasping when Ohno-san’s hands settle on her hips to pull her closer. “Because I’m pretty sure I didn’t tell you.”  
  
“I have my ways,”  
  
“I hope that doesn’t mean that you had me followed? Because I swear to god I’m going to be pissed.”  
  
“No, why would you think I would do that? I had my assistant checked it over with Taichi-san first, before he went straight to check in with your HR. I hope that’s okay?”  
  
Nino snorts, then tries pushing Ohno-san away with a little difficulty. “It’s not like I have much of a choice. You’re here now, aren’t you?”  
  
“Yes, and I’ll be honest with you, Ninomiya-san, it’s worth the trip finding you like this,” Ohno-san says, pulling away just far enough to caress her cheek, the corner of her lips, her chin, the hollow space on her throat, her collarbones. Nino finds herself entranced at the way he smoothes his fingertip across her skin, as if he’s trying to commit the sight to memory. Nino’s not sure what Ohno-san’s seeing, but she could bet he’s liking it so far enough to keep doing it.  
  
“What, totally unprepared?” she huffs, darting her gaze elsewhere. “It’s your fault for coming over almost an hour early, and unannounced, at that. Will you move away? You’re making me feel so–“  
  
“Nervous?” he cuts her off, and completely ignoring her because then he’s stepping forward again until they’re almost nose to nose. “Uneasy?”  
  
“Suffocated,” she clarifies, only half meaning it, setting her palms against Ohno-san’s chest just to be safe. “No, really.”  
  
“I don’t believe you,” Ohno-san husks out, pulling her in and holding her hips steady. Nino knows this is the part where she should be telling him off, remind him that he’s here for a completely different reason – for business, to be exact – and that he should keep his hands to himself, but she can’t seem to get the words out even though she knows she should.  
  
She can’t. In fact, despite knowing she should be putting a safe distance between them, she finds her arms winding around his shoulders in answer, just as he is doing the same, putting his arms around her waist and hefting her up. Nino whimpers, as she once again finds herself backed against the wall, Ohno-san kissing her hard before she could even voice out her concerns.  
  
+  
  
She wouldn’t have believed her either, if she is to be completely honest about it; her actions contradicts everything, especially with how she’s eagerly kissing Ohno-san back, moaning into the other man’s mouth and clinging unto Ohno-san’s neck for dear life as he navigates them through the apartment with such swiftness that impresses her despite herself. She vaguely feels the softness of the couch under her hips when it catches her weight, Ohno-san putting her down on it carefully. A part of her is thankful she has the apartment to herself – Aiba has to work night shifts this week – but the more sensible part isn’t completely in favor of it, considering the fact that she’s totally and very obviously not immune to his charm and his presence as it is.  
  
Pressing one more kiss to her mouth, he pulls away but only so he could take his suit jacket off and sets it aside, before Nino finds him kneeling on the floor between her legs, trailing his fingers from the sole of her foot up to her calf as he stares at her. She shivers, barely aware of the way he is parting her legs as he keeps his gaze on her face, letting her see the way he’s licking his lips wet, his eyes gone dark and hungry as he rakes his eyes all over her.  
  
“God, Ninomiya-san, you’re so beautiful,” Ohno-san mumbles, surging forward to press a kiss to Nino’s cheek, her eyes, the mole on her chin. She’s unable to do anything to stop him now, her fingers ending up gripping his forearms for support, watches him as he leans down to stamp kisses after kisses from her kneecap and up. She feels one of his hands parting the front of her robe ever so gently, revealing bare skin underneath. He gasps just as she does, especially when one of his unoccupied hands find its way to her right breast, mounding it softly, curiously, as he licks the other. Nino throws her head as sensation punches right through her, the heat of his mouth around her hardening bud makes it even more difficult to think straight.  
  
“And so damn soft. I could lick you for days, and it won’t still be enough.” He adds, his lips soft and his breath is warm, mouth leaving a trail of heat on her skin and making her shiver.  
  
“O-Ohno-san –“ she stutters, barely able to string words together as Ohno-san ducks his head once again, this time giving her other breast the attention he gave the other, sucking her nipple hard enough to make her scream. The quick stab of pleasure-pain has her keening anyway, breathing harshly by the time Ohno-san is pulling away to look at her, but leaving his hand where it is.  
  
“This is going to sound insane, I know but - but I have to make you come, Ninomiya-san,” Ohno-san says, fingers digging into the soft skin on Nino’s thighs and making Nino tremble at the very sudden confession.  
  
“I’ve been thinking about it for days, ever since I met you, and I honestly couldn’t wait until after this dinner party is over until I do.” He says, squeezing Nino’s legs and barely giving Nino any more verbal warning before he is parting her legs further apart and leaning down in the same hurried movement, his mouth covering her quivering heat before sucking her hard.  
  
She must be screaming though she can’t be certain when the noise is being drowned out by the sounds of her blood pounding through her ears combined with the noises her heart hammering inside her chest is making. She doesn’t even realize she is tugging at Ohno-san’s hair until his moans reverberate around her, heightening everything by sucking on her clit over and over until her orgasm sears through her and makes her scream.  
  
She is shaking still when he lifts his head, his eyes filled with pure, un-adulterated masculine triumph as he stares at her with dark, dark eyes. His lips is damp, shining with the remains of her pleasure when he lifts one of her legs and hooks it behind his back before she could even say another word. Then he is slipping a finger inside her, tongue spearing into her before rolling it across her still oversensitive clit, teasing her into another orgasm when she knows she can’t have one again so soon.  
  
“N-No, I can’t –“ she whines, and tries to push him away, but he is quick to grab her hands, trapping them aside one-handedly. He’s rimming her with such ferocity that makes her weak, her whole body spasms as her orgasm hovers just within her reach.  
  
“Yes, you can. You will. Come for me, Ninomiya-san,” he whispers, hoarsely, two fingers fucking her now as he thumbs her clit at the same time. Nino keens, then screams when he wastes no time and ducks to attach his mouth against her quaking cleft, sucking on her trembling clit while pushing his fingers into her.  
  
“Now, Ninomiya-san!” Ohno-san hisses, licking her and finger-fucking her, and Nino does, throwing her head back as she screams for the second time, hips undulating in counter to the movement of Ohno-san’s lips sucking her and his fingers slipping in and out of her in a steady rhythm.


	9. Charmed

She’s shaking still when it stopped, when Ohno-san took his hand away from her ever so gently, the sensation of his fingers as they are being slowly pulled out of her making her shiver. Her skin still feels electric after those two explosive orgasms; her senses alight as she feels his gentle hands on her ankles, warm and somewhat coaxing, as he sets them down.  
  
She feels his lips against her temple a moment later, kissing her softly and murmuring her name before he kneels back just far enough to look her over. Nino breathes through the conflicting emotion he lit up within her, and barely able to stop herself from hiding away when he smiles at her in return.  
  
“God, you’re so beautiful, Ninomiya-san,” Ohno-san breathes, fingers reaching over once again to touch her still burning cheek. “So beautiful; I swear I can’t wait to get you to bed and pound you till you’re screaming my name,” he says, roughly, his tone completely contradicting the gentleness of his touch.  
  
She bites her lips and does her best to sit up straight, despite the difficulty, feeling Ohno-san’s hands on her arms to help her up. She’s too wind up to say anything in return, but the way he settles his arms around her hips to keep her steady tells her he understands.  
  
“Are you okay?” he asks anyway, stroking the small of her back lightly. “Hey, come on, let me look at you for a bit,” he coaxes her, hand reaching up to cup her chin, tilting her face up.  
  
“No,”  
  
She ducks her head in shame, mumbles his name against the warm cradle of his chest but he doesn’t let her. Instead, his fingers frame her face to keep her from hiding.  
  
“I’ve scandalized you,” he whispers, his voice low, his touch lingering. “I – God, I’ll apologize if that’s what you want me to, but – _shit_ , I can’t, Ninomiya-san. Because I wanted it. I want you so much it hurts. Just. Please, please talk to me.”  
  
She shakes her head and bites the inside of her cheek as the warmth settles on her face, made worse by the way his finger stroke her face, the underside of her eyes, her lips.  
  
“Are you mad at me?” Ohno-san asks, still smoothing a fingertip across her heated cheek. She shakes her head. “Did I hurt you?” he asks next; he sounded very much worried that she couldn’t help but smile at him in return.  
  
“You didn’t, I promise,” she husks out, chuckling at his answering exhale of breath. “It’s just that…wow, I don’t even know what to say, really. I mean, did that really happen?”  
  
“Yes,” Ohno-san breathes, smiles in a way that is both charming and deadly. Nino could feel her insides melt at the sight of that lovely smile, feels the way her heart warms up to the idea of having to see it up-close like this everytime she wants to. God, what in hell is she thinking?  
  
“And I swear I want to do more, but unfortunately, I can’t. We can’t miss this event. This is important for us both, so despite my wish to take that robe off you so I could be inside you as soon as possible, it has to wait. Now be a good girl and go back to your room so you could finish preparing. I’ll wait here for you.” Ohno-san says, dropping another kiss to her temple and making her swoon.  
  
Nino really doesn’t have an answer to that, so she just nods her head in answer and allows herself to be hugged one more time before she starts walking, hoping her legs are strong enough to carry her towards the direction of her bedroom without tripping.  
  
  
+  
  
The moment she disappeared behind her bedroom door, Ohno sighs and reaches down to rearrange himself in his pants. His dick is so hard it is borderline painful, his chest too full that he’s afraid he’ll physically combust the moment Ninomiya-san turned her back to return to her bedroom. His fingers tingle with the need to touch her all the fuck over, and he could still taste her in his mouth that he’s aching to do it all over again.  
  
Still, he restrains himself and breathes to collect himself. He’s already lost it enough as it is, and the last thing he wants is to scare Ninomiya-san away because of his selfishness. But, God, he wants her; he wants her so badly that it’s taking all of his reserved strength not to cross that distance to follow her, pull her in his arms and kiss her senseless. He’s too worked up that he has to remind himself to breathe, breathe, breathe, hoping that by the time she comes out of her room, he’s calm enough to look at her without wanting to rip her clothes off and fuck her with abandon.  
  
He groans and drops on the couch she’s previously occupying, licking around his lips and closing his eyes, willing the memories of her blissful face and the sounds she made when she came, away.  
  
+  
  
When she steps out of her bedroom minutes later, Ohno is once again floored at the way she looks, his chest tingles in a completely different way when she smiles at him through lowered lashes. She’s put on a light yellow cocktail dress that compliments her curves, the neckline is low enough to show off a hint of a cleavage that makes his mouth water. When he lowers his gaze, however, a soft whistle escapes his lips at the sight of that slit on the side of her dress that runs from her left toe and ends just below her hipbone.  
  
She didn’t even put on that much make-up either, but she did worked on making her eyes stand out, using a darker color, making her eyes look bigger, and honestly a thousand times more beautiful. She leaves her hair as it is, letting it dangle over her shoulders in a way that makes him want to thread his fingers through them while he kisses her.  
  
“Jesus, Ninomiya-san, you’re gorgeous,” he breathes, in awe and in surprise the moment she’s close enough to hear him, offering his hands to her, hoping she would take them. She does, and his heart takes a leap to his throat, barely able to keep himself from leaning in so he could kiss her lips.  
  
He doesn’t, though, because he’s afraid he’ll ruin her makeup by doing so. Her smile is shy and a little reserved; her hands feel cold against his own and he struggles to find words to tell her how lovely she is, but knows that words are not enough right now. So he doesn’t, and instead just leans in to press his lips to her temple with his arms branded around her, and hopes it is enough.  
  
She says nothing in return and just leans in to his kiss as if she doesn’t need to hear anything, either, fingers clawed into the front of his dress shirt as she breathes him in. He stays there, enjoying her presence for a minute longer before he pulls away, gives her a once-over and touches her pretty face.  
  
“Shall we go?”  
  
Ninomiya-san nods and his heart takes another dive at the sight of her smile. He offers her one of his in return and takes a hold of her hand, hooking it against his elbow as he guides her out of the apartment without another word.  



	10. Bared

The dinner is, as expected, crowded with people she doesn’t know.  
  
The only good thing about it is that Ohno-san is with her, even though she kind of expected he’d have to mingle around and socialize. Nino’s not entirely convinced her presence is needed there, but Ohno-san never let her feel out of place or left out. In fact, it’s as if his whole attention is focused on her even when she’s certain he’s in deep conversation with someone else, his hand never letting go of hers, thumb drawing circles across her palm over and over, his touch reminding her of what he’d made her feel in the apartment before they left earlier.  
  
It’s almost midnight when the crowd starts to thin out. By that time, Nino feels slight buzzed from the few glasses of champagne Ohno-san had let her have during dinner while he was talking to some people. There’s bounce on her steps when he tugs her to him and towards the dance floor wordlessly, joining the other couples who are already there.  
  
“You should have told me you wanted to dance,” she quips, letting him place her hands on his shoulders before feeling his own around her hips. “You could have asked the lady sitting on your right, it’s obvious she’s dying to have a dance with you.”  
  
Ohno-san’s eyes crinkle with silent mirth as he pulls her closer. “What lady? I’m sorry but the only lady I’m planning on dancing with is you.”  
  
“She’s the one who keeps refilling your champagne glasses, are you saying you didn’t notice her?” she asks, arching her brows at him in question. He chuckles and draws her in, closer and closer still, until their faces are merely a breath apart.  
  
“No, Ninomiya-san,” he says, voice low and husky, “I’m busy staring at you that I didn’t notice anybody else.”  
  
That does it. “Are you planning on staying here longer?” she asks through the buzz of excitement rushing through her. She feels his arms tightening around her in answer, his lips curling in a way that makes her insides curl with want. “Otherwise, we can just leave. Right now.” She adds, wonders if he notices the way her voice trembles with need.  
  
His eyes darken visibly and his hands drift to either side of her hips possessively. “No, not really,” he says, and pulls away, but not completely. Keeping an arm around her waist, he uses his other free hand to find his phone, fishing out of his suit jacket to make a call.  
  
All the while, he keeps her close as if he is afraid to let go, talking on whoever is on the other line and telling the person where to go as Ohno-san leads her off the dance floor and into the nearest exit.  
  
+  
  
Nino saw the car that drove them there the moment Ohno-san steered her out the door. He keeps his hand at the small of her back to guide her forward, only barely noticing the driver rounding the way to open the door for them until Ohno-san is helping her inside.  
  
Once settled, Ohno-san pulls her into his arms without another word, waits for the driver to settle on the front before Ohno-san is telling him where to go. Nino is too worked up by that time to even pay attention to anything, breathing harshly into Ohno-san’s chest and gripping Ohno-san’s arms for dear life to calm herself.  
  
It doesn’t help ease the tension settling over her bones, nor it slows the way her pulse is thundering along with every beat of her heart. Ohno-san looks like he’s no better either, pressing kisses over her hair and smoothing a hand across her back every now and then as if he’s trying not to simply shove her down and do her right there.  
  
The entire twenty minute car ride seemed to be the longest ride she’d ever have to endure in her life only because she knows where it’s heading.  
  
When they stop, Ohno-san doesn’t even hesitate. He throws the door open and jumps out, holding a hand to her and helping her down. Nino avoids looking at his face and concentrates on breathing instead, only belated noticing where they are.  
  
They are on the elevator going up when she remembers to ask.  
  
“W-Where – Where are we?” she stammers, hoping he didn’t notice the way her voice trembles in combined uncertainty and anticipation.  
  
He smiles and pulls her closer, letting her see their reflection on the elevator’s walls as he presses his lips to her temple.  
  
“I’m taking you home, Ninomiya-san.”  



	11. Bared : Redux

He could sense the slight change in her once those words are out of his mouth, and for a moment there, he realized he’s more terrified at the possibility of her leaving because she misunderstood. Still, he guesses it couldn’t be helped; the sexual tension between them is as palpable as his need to be close to her, but that’s not reason enough to rush things to his favor just because he couldn’t help himself.

What happened earlier in her apartment only proves what he’s known all along. The way she responded to his touch was torture enough as it was, and the sounds she made as he tongued her to completion didn’t help either. The memory of it all had made him almost permanently hard throughout dinner that it was a miracle he’d made it through the end of it without ending up excusing himself so he could rub a quick one out.

Her shoulders feel stiff under his careful hold, the expression on her face as he peeks on her reflection through the elevator’s door tells him he’s not imagining it. She looks uneasy, maybe a little scared. A part of him aches at the sight of her and he knows he has to do everything in his power to make her feel safe, his own desires be damned.

He takes it upon himself to make sure he isn’t about to fuck things up by rushing her. He won’t.

He swears he’ll try his best to be good for her. He’ll show her. Even if he has to start slow.

+

Ohno-san had barely spoken a word since after he’d announced he was taking her home, but Nino is certain the other man was thinking about how he should put his thoughts into words throughout the entire elevator ride up to his apartment. It was obvious in the way he’d held her close as if he was afraid she’d run the first chance she got, the look on his face told her her silence was worrying him more than he’d dared to admit.

When the elevator stopped, Nino couldn’t even bring herself to be surprised anymore. Ohno-san occupies the penthouse, of course, saying nothing as he carefully led her across the short distance between the elevator and the door, one hand at the small of her back. It only took him a moment to unlock his front door by keying his security code, nudging Nino inside once he’d pushed the door open.

Nino mentally swoons when she got inside. As expected, the apartment is huge that she’s certain it could easily fit three of the apartment she shares with Aiba inside it. The interior looks somewhat similar to Ohno-san’s own office at Samiijima, saved from the distinct color difference.

He takes her hand wordlessly and leads her inside, impressed at the way the lights inside blink to life with her every step. Ohno-san brings her to his massive living room, Nino noticing the color of the carpet is identical to the wall. It also feels wonderful under her tired feet, but she wisely doesn’t comment on it. Yet.

“Would you like something to drink, Ninomiya-san?” Ohno-san’s voice breaks through her quiet musing, and she turns to find him eyeing her closely. She doesn’t even realize he’d ditched his suit jacket already, probably when she wasn’t looking, and he’s in the middle of removing his tie as he speaks. “You look like you need it, if you know what I’m saying,”

She chuckles and turns away to hide the way her cheeks burn in embarrassment. “What can you offer me besides water or beer?” she asks.

“Juice?” Ohno-san returns, and she doesn’t even need to look at him to know that he is smiling.

“Something stronger than that, if you have it,”

“Coffee? Black? No cream or sugar, if that’s how you want it,”

She does turn this time and gives him a look. “Don’t be cute, Ohno-san,” she says, wryly, even though she feels anything but. It’s difficult enough to be standing here not knowing how the night would end, but it’s even more difficult to just allow herself to be swept away by their combined passion despite the fact that it’s where they’re obviously headed anyway. She knows it’s just a matter of time before it happens – and technically, it already did, right? - but that doesn’t mean she can’t suffer a little just thinking about how it will unfold from here on.

“I’m not trying to be,” Ohno-san answers, and there’s that noticeable little quirk on his lips that makes Nino’s own dry, for some goddamn reason. “It’s not my fault that I’m effortlessly cute, Ninomiya-san.”

“Very funny,” she snorts, but her heart does that stupid dance in her ribcage the second she watches him ditch the tie and smiles her way.

“Did you, perhaps, want me to offer you alcohol instead? Why?”

She shrugs and looks away, if only so she doesn’t have to keep seeing the way he’s eyeing her so intently, as if he can’t believe she’s standing there.  
“Just something to calm my nerves,” she murmurs, “if it’s okay.”

His voice sounded nearer when he asks, “Am I scaring you, Ninomiya-san?” followed by a light touch against Nino’s elbow that has Nino gasping sharply in answer. Ohno-san quickly takes his hand back, and the action makes Nino guilty, somehow.

“Not in the way you suspected, no,” she answers, and wonders how she’s going to phrase herself without sounding like she’s begging. She won’t, god knows she won’t, because for one, she’s still not entirely sure this is a good idea, but her body, clearly, has a goddamn mind of its own.

His hand come up to touch her cheek, and the heat radiating from his skin feels like a brand against her own heated skin. “We don’t have to do anything you’re not ready for yet, Ninomiya-san,” he whispers, and Nino can’t help the way she whimpers at the way his hand caresses her face as if she’s made of vulnerable glass.

“I promise that’s not the only reason I brought you here,” he says, and Nino has to look at him properly at that, seeing the genuine look of adoration in his eyes. “I mean it. I brought you here to show you where I live, since you let me have the opportunity to see your place earlier, too. I’ve plans to show you around, maybe watch a movie with you while we eat or something, and that’s it. If we end up doing something else after that, well, that will depend on whether you would like it to happen or not. Otherwise, no pressure. You can even ask me to take you home after I’ve shown you around and I will, Ninomiya-san. The only thing you need to do is ask.”


	12. Made for you

She squints at him in answer, as if she wants to tell him something else, but the way her pretty, pretty eyes darken as they stare at each other reminds him of how she looked earlier when he caught her off-guard, when she’d allowed him to touch her and have his way with her in the privacy of her own home.

He feels the way her pulse accelerates under his hand, and he knows that if he doesn’t move away now, he’ll take advantage of her again.

So, he does. And he swears the sound Ninomiya-san makes is enough to make him forget himself, take her in his arms and kiss her, but he knows he doesn’t.

“Shhh, please don’t look at me like that, Ninomiya-san,” he whispers, smoothing a finger across her heated cheek. Her pupils are blown wide with want and something else, breathing harshly into the space between their faces as if she can’t help it.

“I’m trying my best here, okay?” he says, watching his finger drift to the corner of her beautiful lips. “And you’re not exactly making it easier, I swear,”

She drops her gaze at that and smiles, and he’s certain his heart drops to the ground at the sight too. God, she’s so beautiful, so goddamn beautiful it hurts.

“I’m not even doing anything,” she says, chuckling as she spoke the words softly, raising her head and looking him straight in the eyes. “Yet,”

He chuckles, can’t not, as he takes his hand away. He needs to do so in order to keep his urges in check, even though their closeness is torture enough as it is. He can smell her perfume even from a distance, his mouth waters at the thought of being able to chase that scent off her skin with his mouth.

“You don’t even have to,” he answers, and steps back just to be safe. “I think we have already established the fact that everything about you is a turn on for me, and I’m not even going to try and deny it.”

Her answering laughter makes his inside twist with need, but he does his best to swallow it down. He promised to take it slow despite the difficulty, and he will. He will.

“I get it, Ohno-san,” she says after a moment, as he stares longingly at her mouth. “Seriously, I do. This is you trying to take it slow, I get it, and I swear it’s… nice. A little surprising, yes, and maybe confusing, but still nice. I honestly didn’t expect you’d be so –“

“Patient?” he asks.

“Yes,” she answers right away, teasing him with a smile so beautiful he aches just looking at her. “Especially after what happened earlier,” she follows, dropping her gaze down again obviously so he won’t have to see how this exchange is embarrassing her in its entirety. He also notices the way her cheeks turn red immediately afterward, and his heart, god, his heart is seriously not ready for this.

“I can be patient if I want to be, that’s for sure,” he says, and watches her closely as he offers his hand to her, hoping she’ll take it. “And that’s exactly what’s going to happen tonight. So, may I? I want to show you around, Ninomiya-san.”

“Only if it’s okay?” she asks.

He takes her hand and lifts it to his lips, dropping a kiss to the back of her palm hoping she knows how grateful he is for her, for her trust that she’s willingly giving him in return.

“My pleasure, Ninomiya-san.”

\---

The impromptu tour around Ohno-san’s house was entertaining, to say the least. Unexpected, yes, but somewhat unnecessary, if she will be completely honest about it. Somehow, she knows the reason why Ohno-san insisted to tour her around mostly isn’t because he wants to boast – god knows she’d expected his own place to be just as elegant as his company office – but mainly because she’s certain he’s doing it to make her feel at ease with him around.

Once they were done, Ohno-san told her he was going to take a quick shower, would she be okay there by herself for a bit? To this moment, as she is drying herself with the bath towel Ohno-san had kindly lent her earlier, she still has no idea why she asked if it’s okay if she takes a shower too.

Well, maybe it’s more of her instinct kicking in, because, who knows what might happen later? It’s not like she’s planning on jumping him the first chance she gets, but sometimes, things like that happen even when you’re not expecting it. She’d rather be ready for it, really, and cleaning herself up just in case is how she’s rolling with it, so sue her.

The shirt she later finds on the bed turns out to be two sizes too big on her, as is the pajama bottom along with it. She has a moment to think if she’s going to forgo the pants in favor of just strutting out the bedroom in her panties, but thinks better of it, giggling at herself for even thinking about it.

She goes out of the bedroom minutes later, barefoot, and finds Ohno-san exactly where she left him. Upon closer inspection, Nino realized his hair is damp and he’s changed into a similar pair of loose, white shirt and pajama bottoms, too.

“Oh, you’re here,” he says, acknowledging her presence as he stood. Nino smiles his way and takes the hand he’s offered as he guides her to the couch before he sits next to her. The television is on but it’s on mute, and there’s something that smells wonderful sitting there on the center table next to the wine bottle and two glasses.

“Not sure if you feel like eating, but I went ahead and reheated the hamburg steak I asked Jun-kun to order for me before the dinner party,” he says, as he starts pouring one on the glasses. Nino can’t help it, she smiles, and wonders if he notices her staring. “Wine?” he asks, after he’s done.

“You’re wining and dining me, aren’t you?” she asks, amused, but she does accept the glass without another word.

His smile is sheepish and so, so charming that Nino can’t help but to keep looking. “Hey, I’m doing my best here, okay? You can tell me to stop if it’s too embarrassing,” he says, although it doesn’t look like he’s planning on stopping anyway. Nino shakes her head at him in answer.

“Don’t worry, Ohno-san,” she says as she takes a quick but careful sip, “You’re doing just fine, I promise.”

The smile he gives her then in return is enough to make her swoon, and she swears it would have been enough to scare her away for good.

But with Ohno-san, she doesn’t. Only because she knows, deep in her heart, that he’s not going to do anything to hurt her.

\---

Ohno knows neither of them is watching. The movie is so boring that they’ve both ditched watching it in favor of talking, mostly no-nonsense talk just to pass the time. Through it, though, he found out Ninomiya-san actually likes hamburg steak a lot, that she has a roommate who works as an animal clinic assistant by day and part-time model at night. He also found out about Ninomiya-san’s penchant for gaming, and how most of her free time is spent playing video games.

“I like…fishing,” he admits readily, and the surprised look on her face tells him she’s honestly not expecting it. “What, it’s therapeutic,” he adds, watching her giggle into her wine glass in answer. God, she’s really beautiful, with her hair swept up in a messy bun like that, her face devoid of makeup yet her cheeks are marred red from the effects of the alcohol, she looks stunning.

He wants her so bad it’s driving him crazy.

“Hmm, what?” she asks, after a moment, when she realized he is still looking. Ohno shakes his head and thumbs her cheek, the corner of her mouth when words fail him. “Come on, Ohno-san, just tell me,”

He breathes harshly in answer as he gathers the courage to say what he feels. It’s not just the desire to claim her, but just to be close to her, to feel her soft skin under his fingertips as he kisses her.

“I want to kiss you,” he murmurs, and it’s a confession as much as it is a plea. Ninomiya-san chuckles and surprises him by catching his hand, her small and dainty fingers wrapping around his wrist to keep his hand in place.

There’s something in her eyes that makes him hungry, and the way she licks her lips in answer doesn’t help either.

“Please?”

She smiles and pulls him in, and the first, warm touch of her lips against his own breaks something in him he knows he won’t be able to fix again, without her help. He surges forward and holds onto her, mouth seeking hers, and the explosion of heat makes him moan before he could even stop it.


	13. Inevitable

It’s so easy to get lost in her, in everything she is, her warmth and the perfect feel of her body against his. Ohno could kiss her forever like this, completely lost in the way she makes him feel as her mouth moves languidly under his own. His fingers tingle with the urge to touch her all over, but despite the need raking him from head to his toe, he does his best to rein it in.  
  
Ninomiya-san, however, doesn’t seem too mindful of the fact that she’s driving him mad with want with the way she is clinging to him like he is her lifeline, Her fingers are gripping the front of his shirt tightly, and she is kissing him back with enough force to knock them both over on the couch. His arms bracketing around her from behind, he kisses her hard one more time before he pulls away.  
  
The sound she makes in retaliation has him groaning in combined amusement and arousal, pulling her to him and burying his face to her hair, holding her close.  
  
“What? Why are you stopping?” she asks, her breath feels like a brand against his neck that it’s so difficult to ignore it. But he has to, god, he has to.  
  
He turns to nuzzle her temple, loving this closeness just as much. “Well, I did ask for a kiss,” he says, breathing softly as he lets her pull away. Her eyes are so, so dark, and her gaze even more so. There is nothing uncertain in the way she is shifting atop him now, her fingers light and teasing against the nape of his neck.  
  
She leans down till they’re almost nose to nose. “You’re joking, right?” she purrs against his face, wriggling her lower body against his aching cock, feeling her softness through the thin fabric separating them.  
  
Jesus, he could feel his self control slipping further away, and she’s not exactly making it easier for him either. She’s confident in her own skin, despite the fact that some things still make her blush. An unexpected compliment, amongst other things, and Ohno is so charmed by her that it’s so easy to be swept away.  
  
He raises his hands to her face and holds her steady, barely feeling her weight settling across his body as he stills beneath her. She feels so light, so soft and so warm, and god, he wants her.  
  
“No,” he whispers as he thumbs her bottom lip lightly. “But if it makes you feel better…” he pauses briefly to lift his hips from the couch, letting her feel his need through the offending clothes separating them, watching the way her lips quiver and her eyes flutter in answer.  
  
“Feel that and be assured that this – none of this is easy, at least not for me,” he says, harshly, pulling her down for a quick kiss.  
  
When he pulls away, he finds that she’s looking at him as if she knows what he’s thinking, and she leans down to bite his chin at the same time she deliberately rubs herself against his hard-on, and purrs.  
  
He gasps and she does it again, slowly this time that he could feel the way her cleft rubs against him, feels her wet softness lingering.  
  
“And there’s my answer, Ohno-san.” she whispers.  
  
The breath that leaves his mouth is harsher then, holding her firmly around her hips before flipping their positions over.  
  
\---  
  
She knows it’s unfair, that she’s teasing him like this but she can’t exactly help it. Obviously, they’re way past the point of pretending they’re not heading towards that direction anyway, and Nino isn’t about to start now. She can feel his resistance fading with every movement of her body against him, could feel the way his dick hardens everytime she would lift her hips and lower it across his aching cock afterward.  
  
Her efforts are rewarded a moment after, and now she’s the one struggling to stay in control as he takes his attention to licking and sucking her neck like there’s no tomorrow. His hands are alternating between squeezing her waist and stroking the underside of her breasts, his touch leaving trails of heat across her oversensitive skin.  
  
“Ah, please,” she moans, her hands drifting to his head as he crawls his way down her body. His kisses is as thorough as his hands touching her, and the memory of his mouth and tongue alternating between sucking her and licking her is enough to make her wet.  
  
He pulls away to remove his shirt, and Nino whines. His laughter comes as a surprise, and she feels her face burns in answer.  
  
His fingers come down to touch her face right after. “You’re making me break my promise to you,” he whispers, his voice as soft as his touch. “Please tell me this is what you want. Otherwise, we’ll stop it here,”  
  
She pulls him down once again and kisses him hard. “I want this. Now stop talking and continue what you’re doing before,”  
  
He smiles and presses his lips to her temple. “God, you don’t even have to ask.” He murmurs, pulling her up and helping her out of the shirt he lent her, hand drifting in between her breasts, feeling glorious skin and her thundering heartbeat underneath.  
  
\---  
  
It’s not supposed to be this easy, but somehow, it just is. Easy, but at the same time mind blowing and Nino will never not be amazed at how responsive she is to his touch, how she can’t wait to feel him inside her as he kisses her all the fuck over. She’s naked and so, so ready for him, but he doesn’t seem to want to stop teasing her, his fingers and his lips feel like they’re everywhere all at once.  
  
She feels his hands on her knees, parting her legs wider as he moves in between; he’s mouthing at her bellybutton at the same time he reaches down and rubs his thumb across her aching cleft, parting her softly.  
  
“Fuck, you’re so wet for me, Ninomiya-san,” Ohno-san whispers, as he slips a finger inside. The movement drives Nino’s nerves into a frenzy, keening before she even notices it. “You like this, huh? God, so, so wet. I want to lick you,” he says, and before Nino can even protest, he’s there. Tonguing her like he did the first time, and slipping a finger inside her as he works his mouth around her. He’s finger-fucking her, making her come with just his mouth and finger, deliberately making her scream his name when she came.  
  
She’s shaking still when he pulls away, kneels next to her on the bed and Nino has to force her eyes open to watch him lick the remains of her orgasm off his lips. Her gaze drifts down to his hand working around his throbbing manhood, and her mouth waters at the sight of its copper-colored tip, its long, hard length.  
  
She reaches over, chest heaving still, and joins his hand around his cock. “I’ll return the favor later,” she whispers, reaches for him with her other hand to gesture him over. “Because for now, I need this – I need you, Ohno-san,”  
  
“Ah, fuck, Ninomiya-san, but…I don’t have any condoms here,” he says, as if the admission is physically hurting him. “Sorry, I –“  
  
She nods, understanding his concerns. Of course, of course, but she needs him, she needs him. And right now, that is all that matters.  
  
She pulls him down and shifts under him, arching under his weight and the delicious warmth of his body covering hers. She lifts up to kiss him, whispers against his lips as he takes it upon herself to guide his hard, throbbing length into her, welcoming the heat and the slick feel of his dick poised against her softness.  
  
“You’re an adult, Ohno-san,” she tells him, watching his face as she slowly welcomes him, inch by tantalizing inch. “I trust you to know what to do, okay? Just…just let me feel you. I need to feel you inside me like this, please. Please, just –“  
  
Ohno-san jerks his hips in answer, filling her in one quick movement and kissing her to silence her.  
  
\---  
  
He won’t say he doesn’t know what she means because he does, god knows he does. The implication alone would have normally make him want to run the first chance he gets because, shit, unprotected sex is never a good thing in his book no matter who he’s doing it with, but with her, his brain doesn’t seem to want to cooperate.  
  
He wants her, and knowing how much she wants him in return is enough to make him want to mark her his, fuck her raw and make her take him, all of him, and do it again.  
  
He pushes into her and groans at the way she clings to him, her insides contracting around him like a lover. Her legs twined around him as he jerks his hips, the action taking him deeper into her. She throws her head and keens, and he stops thinking.  
  
“Ah, fuck, fuck,” he swears under his breath, lips against her throat, fucking her with abandon as she holds on to him, fucking her so hard he’s certain he’s hitting the ends of her with every movement. She’s moaning, half-screaming as he jerks into her, sweat falling from his forehead to her chest. He knows she’s near when she arches her back and trembles violently, and Ohno fucks her harder, faster.  
  
She’s coming at the end of the third thrust, throwing her head back and keening, and Ohno knows he’s gone, too. He’s jerking his hips two more times, ducks down to catch her around the back of her head to muffle his cries against her mouth as he pulls out at the last second, one hand around his spurting cock aimed across her belly.


	14. Closer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> short one, sorry about that.

He’s shaking still when it stops, but he keeps his hand wrapped around his cock to squeeze the remains of his orgasm, shutting his eyes close and feeling her languid touch against the back of his knuckles. When he opens his eyes again, she’s still there, smiling up at him like she’s aware he will be looking for her, staring her over as she stretches there on the couch like she always belong there.

When his eyes drift down to where he’s dirtied her, he couldn’t help the groan that slips out the back of his throat at the sight, feeling himself twitch at the memory of his dick spurting all that cum all over her.

“Fuck,” he swears under his breath as he scrambles off the couch and almost landing first-face on the floor in haste. 

“Are you okay?” she asks; she sounded a little breathless, as she struggles to sit carefully. He could spy the way his cum is slowly drifting off her belly, could see the red imprints his hands left on her milky white skin as he quickly snatches the tissue box sitting on the low table there and bringing it close to her to clean her up.

Her hand on his wrist stops him from continuing, finds himself looking up at her as she studies his face. She looks a little lost, and maybe worried too, and Ohno feels like hitting himself repeatedly on the face for causing her discomfort, for putting that look on her face because of his stupidity.

“Shit, Ninomiya-san, sorry, I’m so sorry,” he says, letting the box fall from his grasp as well as the tissue he has in his hand to clean her up to the floor. He gathers her in and kisses her temple, cups her chin and tips her face up to kiss her. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to…make you feel like I was setting you aside. I was just…I thought I should help you clean up first, because of the mess I made. I’m sorry, I’m so sorry,” he apologizes repeatedly, feeling her tremble against him as he holds her tight.

“It’s…okay,” she breathes a moment later, and her warm breath hitting the side of his neck brings delicious shiver down his spine. He lets her pull away only so he could look at her better, reaching out to tuck a strand of stubborn hair behind her ear as she turns her gaze away. “I was just surprised. I thought you looked…worried. I mean, it’s fine, right? I think you’ve pulled out just in time, so, there’s no need for you to worry about getting me…pregnant,”

The breathe that whooshes out of him then is so sudden he’s shocked himself with it, pulling Ninomiya-san to him and hugging her close.

“Jesus, I wasn’t worried about that, okay? I’m sorry I have the worst facial expressions, but I swear I wasn’t thinking about that. I just thought I’d clean you up quick, is all,”

She looks up at him and gave him a smile. “You didn’t have to,” she says, feeling her hand on his cheek and smiling in the way that makes his pulse race. “I would have told you to keep it there till it dries, so we could wash it away together later,” she follows, still smiling so prettily at him as if he hasn’t just made things awkward between them because of his stupidity.

He chuckles and pulls her in by her nape, kisses her hard just because he could. She kisses back as if on autopilot, fingers finding his arms for support. 

“We’ll do that next time,” he murmurs, guiding her arms around his neck and then picking her up from the couch without preamble right after.

\---

“Where are we going?” she asks when he takes her away from the couch, and towards the direction of the bedroom. The thought excites her as she relates to it, and the memory of the way he’d made love to her earlier makes her insides twitch with renewed interest.

“Shower, of course,” he tells her, “Then, we sleep. I know you need to go to work tomorrow, so, as much as I want to spend the night making love to you, I won’t,”

That ought to make her smile, but the context of what he told her confuses her, somehow. She frowns at him in answer, wriggles a little in his hold to get his attention. 

“Sleep? Here?” she asks instead. She didn’t just mishear him, right? He nods. “No, I…I can’t. My…my roommate will –“

“Then call her,” he says, as he stops by the doorway to push it open. “Or text her. Tell her you’ll be staying the night with me. You can forward my address and my contact details to her so she knows who to call in case she wants to make sure you’re with me. You can do that, right?” he asks. Nino knows he should correct him, tell him her roommate is a guy who is also her best friend, but his proximity is honestly making it difficult for her to breathe, much more think.

He puts her down but doesn’t let her go. It’s a heady feeling, she thinks, the way he makes her feel as though her presence is important to him. She’s not sure how to phrase it either, but after the sex, it seriously feels like a vital part of her has been permanently altered to fit him and him alone.

It’s exhilarating in a way she couldn’t explain, but the thing is, she likes it. 

And it’s not that hard to see that Ohno-san does, too.

“Stay the night, Ninomiya-san,” he pleads, caressing her face and making her feel wanted. “Please? Just…I don’t want you to go just yet. Please?”

She knows she doesn’t have the heart to refuse him, not after what happened, and not while he is looking at her as if he’ll resolve to begging if he has to, just so she would say yes. She chuckles at the thought and nods, smiles at the way his face lights up in answer.

“Thank you,” he says into her hair, pulls her closer and holds her. “Come. Let’s run you a bath. Then, we’ll hit the sack. I know I tired you out.” He says, as he guides her to the bathroom, one arm around her, keeping her close.


	15. She's all that

Aiba is already waiting for her when she gets home. ****

It’s early still, but that’s because Ohno-san insisted on driving her back to the apartment instead of simply letting her take a cab home. He’d also suggested she took a shower there in Ohno-san’s place so she won’t have to rush getting herself ready for work, and she just had to agree. ****

Somehow, spending the night on Ohno-san’s bed feels as though this thing between them isn’t so casual anymore. ****

The sex had been wonderful, there’s no doubt about that, and Nino is certain she’s not the only one who thinks that. Ohno-san obviously fancies her enough to want to spend the night with her, sleeping next to her and holding her through the night, just as he promised. ****

“Why are you still awake? You’re supposed to be asleep already, what’s wrong?” she asks when she finds her best friend standing there when she unlocks the door. He looks sleep-deprived and eyeing her suspiciously. ****

Nino looks down at herself, clears her throat and smiles. ****

Aiba points a finger at her. “You,” he croaks, “Everything about you right now is wrong, Kazu. Everything. That shirt and that pants you’re wearing, that damp hair, and that suspicious smirk. Jesus Christ, you’ve got that freshly fucked look on your face and I can’t even - no, wait, wait. What?” ****

Nino allows Aiba a few minutes to gape at her before she is throwing the paperbag she’s carrying with her right to his face.

\--

The coffee Aiba leaves on the counter for her when she steps out of her room is still hot when she picks it up on her way to where her best friend lounges, patting the couch beside him when their gazes catch, gesturing to her to sit. ****

She’s already dressed for work, but she’s certain Aiba won’t let her get anywhere until he gets the answer he needs from her. She sighs and drops her purse on the low table and joins Aiba on the couch. She takes a sip of her coffee, pointedly ignores her best friend as she drinks her coffee in silence. ****

“So, tell me what happened,” Aiba finally says when Nino continues ignoring him. “Right now. Tell me everything. I want all the details,” ****

She scowls and puts her coffee down before she turns and gives the bastard a look. ****

“There’s nothing to tell,” she says, “We...slept together, end of story. You know, sleep? It’s what normal people do when they are tired, unlike you, you weirdo. Aren’t you tired? You look like shit. Why don’t you go to sleep already so I can also go to work? I’ll be late,” she says. ****

“I know what you’re doing, woman. You think you can distract me with that, you’re wrong. Tell me what happened. Now, or I’m seriously hunting down that jerk -” ****

“What the hell are you going to do that for?” she returns, annoyed and equal-parts amused. There he goes again, making those stupid threats of his. Ugh, sometimes she really, really hates Aiba. ****

“You gave me his name and his address, right? I need to make sure he’s not a serial killer or serial rapist, that’s why!” ****

She rolls her eyes at him in answer. “You’re overreacting, Aiba-shi,” she says, trying her hardest not to smile at the memory of her urging Ohno-san on, the way she acted almost wantonly beneath him. ****

“Jesus, you’re blushing,” Aiba comments, before he reaches out to grip her chin, gently guiding her face so he could look at her properly. Nino chuckles and does her best to bat his hand away, but he doesn’t let her. ****

“Nino, be honest with me,” he says, tipping her face up, leaving Nino with no other choice but to look at Aiba in turn. “You had sex with him already, didn’t you?” Aiba asks. Nino averts her gaze, then nods.

“Shit,” ****

“He didn’t force me, if that’s what you’re worried about,” she quickly says, before Aiba gets the wrong impression. He tends to react that way in answer to Nino’s silences after all, and though it’s amusing sometimes, it obviously isn’t going to be that way this time around. ****

To be honest, Nino wants her best friend’s approval on this, on Ohno-san especially, even though it’s still too early to tell if this thing between her and Ohno-san is something worth keeping. But she wants to. And she can tell Ohno-san wants it, too. ****

“You’re not just saying that so I won’t go straight to him and kick him in the balls for getting in your pants on your first date, are you?” Aiba confirms, his hand firmly but still gently cupping her jaw to steady her. ****

She giggles at that, can’t not, loving the way he giggles with her too. She shakes her head and reaches to worm her fingers around Aiba’s wrist and tugs Aiba’s hand lightly. When he lets go, she gives him another smile and surprises him by throwing herself at him, her arms around his neck to hug him tight. ****

“I know you’re just worried about me, Aiba-shi, but I assure you, you don’t have to be,” she whispers, kissing his cheek. “I wanted it. And I swear he was trying to be a gentleman by stopping, by asking me countless times if I was sure it’s what I want, but I didn’t let him. I think I like him,” she says, realizing she means it more than she thought she does before. ****

“Oh, Kazu.” Aiba exclaims, welcoming her into his arms as she buries her face into the crook of Aiba’s neck, Aiba humming softly at her in answer and hugging her back.

\--

There are numerous reasons why he shouldn’t be doing this, but none of it matters when he’s literally vibrating with excitement as he waits for Ninomiya-san to step out of her apartment building. He didn’t inform her he would be coming to pick her up - he doesn’t want her to feel as though he’s smothering her, even though that’s exactly what it might look like to her when she sees him here. ****

To be honest, he just can’t get enough of her. Her presence is like a drug to him, her smile and the way she makes him feel when they’re together. What happened between them the night before is something he’s certain he won’t ever get tired of remembering, the way she feels in his arms when she allows him to touch her, to kiss her, the way she fits perfectly against him as if she’s made specifically just for him. ****

“Sir, would you like me to go and ask if Ninomiya-san is still there?” Sho-kun asks from the front, his expression caught between amusement and something else. He tries not to react to the obvious smile playing at the corners of Sho-kun’s lips, but it’s hard when he’s already agitated enough as it is. ****

“Lose the grin, Sho-kun,” he says, shaking his head. “And no. I’d rather surprise her than -” he pauses, his voice and his brain halting into a screeching stop when his gaze catches Ninomiya-san on her way out of the building’s front, a lanky but an honest-to-goodness hunk of a man walking next to her. Her arm is wormed around the man’s waist, and the man’s own is thrown comfortably around her shoulders. ****

They are laughing as they walk, and when they stop, he stoops low to press a kiss to her cheek. She smiles back and lets go, steps back as the man waves at her. Then she starts walking. ****

Ohno feels his heart drop to the ground where the man stands, as he watches Ninomiya-san go.

“Sir?” Sho-kun calls, but he’s no longer listening. He’s out of the car before he could even stop him.


	16. Sly

“Ninomiya-san, hello,” the greeting stops Nino on her tracks, her eyes quickly finding the owner of the voice and nearly doubling over realizing he is already there, standing just a few steps away from her.

Aiba materializes next to her as if on cue, and Nino swears the tension that follows soon after is palpable, if not somewhat worrying. 

Ohno-san looks like he’s considering numerous things at the moment, as he stares up at Aiba in a way that sets Nino’s nerves on edge. She turns to her best friend and finds Aiba doing the same, and for some odd reason, the quiet exchange was making Nino giggle despite the awkward air hanging between them. 

“Aren’t you going to introduce me to your friend, Ninomiya-san?” Ohno-san follows, his voice sounding strained, forced. Nino can bet she’s not hallucinating it; it’s obvious Ohno-san saw something that warrants the way he looks at Nino like he’s contemplating taking her away, and somehow, the sight of him only makes Nino giggle harder.

She spies the way Ohno-san’s brow arches in answer. 

“I can do that myself,” it is Aiba who answers, barely throwing her a glance as he steps forward with his arms crossed tightly over his chest. Then, his eyes narrow as if he remembers something. “Wait a minute, Nino-chan, is this him? The guy you were talking about?” Aiba asks, jerking his fingers towards Ohno-san.

The question prompts Ohno-san to set his gaze back at Nino. “Yes,” Nino counters, cringing mentally in horror. She’s already considering forcing her best friend back into the apartment building - propriety be damned - so she could tug Ohno-san away, ask him what in hell he’s doing here.

Unfortunately, that is easier said than done. Especially when the two men are busy sizing each other up, the other is genuinely curious, the other, pissed.

Nino sighs and takes two tentative steps forward so she’s standing between the two, throwing Aiba a pleading glance before she’s turning to Ohno-san.

“I know how this looks, Ohno-san, but I’m telling you, you’re wrong,” she says, softly, reaching out tentatively to thump Ohno-san’s chest with her fingertips, as she reaches out to Aiba with her other hand to squeeze her best friend’s arm. 

“Meet my best friend, Aiba Masaki. You know, the roommate I was telling you about?”

\---

“I thought your roommate is a girl,” he muses, shaking his head. He still can’t get over the fact that he acted like a total jackass in front of Aiba-san earlier, who didn’t look particularly amused over the fact that Ninomiya-san opted on laughing at his face instead of correcting Ohno’s mistake.

God, the way he’d acted, the way he’d sauntered his way towards them as if he was ready for battle was embarrassing as it was stupid. 

“That’s your problem,” she quips, smirking at him. “You should have seen your face earlier. I thought you were going to punch my best friend in the face,”

He sighs. “Please don’t remind me,” he mourns, shaking his head. “I didn’t plan on getting on the wrong foot with your best friend, okay? I need his approval to date you, obviously,”

She giggles in answer to that. “What? What are you even saying?”

“I may not look like it, but I know how these things work, alright? Chicks before dicks and all that. I’m quite certain that his opinion matters in,” he pauses here to gesture between them, loving the way she keeps quiet as he continues. “Well, this...the two of us. I didn’t mean to screw it up,”

She says nothing and he takes that as his cue to continue. 

“Are you sure it’s okay?” he asks, uncertain and equal-parts embarrassed. 

She tilts her head back at him and smiles. “Your best friend will think I’m a jerk,” he admonishes, wincing quietly in shame. Well, he should be; Aiba-san didn’t seem all too pleased that Ninomiya-san had simply told her best friend/roommate they’ll do this again some other time, properly, maybe over dinner or something, but not now.

They’re running late and as much as Ninomiya-san wants them to stay a while and chat, they can’t.

Ohno can’t, for the life of him, understand why Ninomiya looks all kinds of amused as she sits next to her in the car, fiddling with the lapel of his suit as she stares him over.

The closeness is making him nervous, but not in a bad way. He can tell that after the events of the previous day, particularly the night before, she is certainly more at ease with him around; she’s smiling often and she looks like she’s enjoying teasing him the way she is doing now. 

Or so he hoped.

“Don’t worry about him,” she remarks, twisting her fingers on his tie now. “I’ll tell him you’ll make it up over dinner sometime, soon, when you’re free of course,”

He chuckles and reaches up to catch her hand, lifts it to his lips, kissing her fingertips lightly. 

“Tonight?”

“Maybe not,” she shakes her head, and he notes the way her eyes darken as she watches him stamp kisses after kisses over each of her fingertips, letting her feel the way his lips settle across each digit softly. 

“Why?”

“Because he’s working night shifts this week,” she whispers, “and because tonight, you’re still mine. Well, if you’re not so busy, that is,”

He chuckles and very deliberately sucks on one of her fingers, quickly, before he pulls it away, mindful of the way she has slowly sidled closer to him, almost sitting on top of his lap now. He settles his other, unoccupied hand to her nape, itching to put it on her hair but he’s worried he’ll mess up her hair. So he doesn’t, and instead, just holds her there as she looks at him.

“God, do you even have to ask?” he breathes, pulling her closer and pressing a soft kiss to the corner of her lips.

She smiles and smooths a hand against his cheek in answer.

\---

She doesn’t say it, she can’t, but everything about him is just too much for her heart to handle. Every moment with him feels like something she’s never experienced before, and she’s honestly loving every minute of it.

The entire car ride to work was - nice. She honestly didn’t think that when she woke up this morning, she would be doing things differently from the way she did things the day before. 

And it’s all because of Ohno-san.

She doesn’t mean to think much of it, but it’s just - it’s kind of surprising, to say the least. She knows herself enough to know her limits, her worth as a woman, as a person, her confidence in herself. It’s not to say that she thinks she is perfect - far from it really - but just that she knows that not everything about her is good enough to warrant the way Ohno-san looks at her as if he can’t be bothered to look at anyone else.

His attention is by far the best thing he’s given her, though that’s not something she would admit quite easily. It’s not his wealth nor his looks that would persuade her to stay if ever they’ll come to that point someday, but she won’t say she’ll overlook them either. It’s the way she makes her feel special, more so every time when they are together. 

And Nino likes it enough not to mind, enjoying it even, to be honest.

“Do you want to have lunch with me at my office later?” he asks her when they’re in the elevator together, and he’s looking at her as if he doesn’t even realize he’s doing it. Nino smiles and reaches over to fix his tie - she doesn’t have to, the tie is perfect like the man wearing it, but she does so as an excuse to touch.

Ohno-san doesn’t mind anyway. 

“I thought you might be busy,” she says, eyeing his lips, thinking of so many different things she can and want those perfect lips to do to her, if given the chance. “But are you sure?”

“I’ll ask Jun-kun to make the necessary arrangements if you agree,” he says, touching her jaw. 

“If the most he can free of your schedule is ten minutes, don’t bother,” she says.

“Twenty. Thirty might be pushing it, but I’ll try. He’ll call you to inform you what time you should come up, is that okay for you?”

She chuckles at the same time the elevator dings.

“Then, see you at lunch, Ohno-san,”

His smile is lethal as it is charming, and Nino knows she won’t ever be immune to it.

“Have a good day at work, Ninomiya-san.”


End file.
